Time
Time (1)
When it's "on the hour" we say "o'clock". But only when it's on the hour.
Twelve o'clock
Six o'clock
One o'clock
Seven o'clock
Two o'clock
Eight o'clock
Three o'clock
Nine o'clock
Four o'clock
Ten o'clock
Five o'clock
Eleven o'clock
Because it can be difficult to say whether 12 o'clock is during the day or the night, we use two
special terms.
00:00 and 24:00 = Twelve
midnight (or midnight)
12:00 = Twelve noon
(or noon)
Time (2)
In five minute increments, when it's past the hour (up to 30 minutes past) we say "past".
When it's before the hour (after 30 minutes past) we say "to".
There are 60 minutes in an hour.
30 minutes is half an hour, we say "half past" or "thirty".
15 minutes is quarter of an hour, we say "quarter past" or "fifteen" or "quarter to" or "forty-five".
Twelve fifteen
Twelve o'clock
or
Quarter past twelve
Twelve thirty
Twelve forty-five
or
or
Half past twelve
Quarter to one
We never say "half to".
At other "odd" times, when we want to be accurate, we add the word "minute(s)":-
It's twenty-eight minutes to
twelve.
It's one minute
past three.
If you want to avoid trying to remember when to use "minutes" and when
not to just say "nearly" or "just turned".
It's just turned half past
eleven.
It's nearly three
o'clock.
Prepositions used with time
At a point
in time
"When
shall we
meet?
In a length of
time
"It's 12.45,
"Let's meet
when will you
at 12.30."
be ready?
"I'll see you in
an hour, at
about 1.45."
Naturally speaking
Digital clocks often show the time this way using the 24-hour-clock, only the police and the military actually
speak using the 24 hour clock:-
If it's before noon we tend to
say "in the morning".
If it's after noon we say "in
the afternoon".
07:00
14:00
It's seven o'clock in the
morning
It's two o'clock in the
afternoon
If it's late we say "at night".
22:00
It's ten o'clock at night
15 minutes past the hour is
quarter past:
07:15
14:15
It's quarter past seven in the
morning
It's quarter past two in the
afternoon
22:15
It's quarter past ten at night
30 minutes past the hour is
half past:
07:30
14:30
It's half past seven in the
morning
It's half past two in the
afternoon
22:30
It's half past ten at night
45 minutes past the hour is
quarter to:
07:45
14:45
It's quarter to eight in the
morning
It's quarter to three in the
afternoon
22:45
It's quarter to eleven at night
How to ask the time in English.
o
Excuse me. What time is it,
please?

It's exactly eight
o'clock.

It's eight.
or
o
o
Excuse me. Do you have the
time, please?

It's half past twelve.

It's twelve thirty.

It's about half past
eleven.

It's around eleven
thirty.
or
Excuse me. Could you tell me
the time, please?
or
Work time
There are some common words and phrases that we use to describe the hours we work.
At work in the UK we talk about starting time and leaving time.
9-to-5 is a phrase used to describe a conventional and possibly tedious job. Negatively used, it
connotes a tedious or unremarkable occupation, the idea being that, because the job is so boring,
the workplace shuts down outside of required hours. The phrase also indicates that a person is an
employee, usually in a large company, rather than self-employed. More neutrally, it connotes a
job with stable hours and low career risk, but still a position of subordinate employment.
Overtime is the time we work in addition to what is normal. Overtime is either paid, or unpaid.
Full time (full-time) is the term we use to describe the whole of someone's available working
time, typically 40 hours in a week, but the European Union's working time directive imposes a
48 hour maximum working week that applies to every member state except here in the United
Kingdom (which has an opt-out meaning that UK-based employees may work longer than 48
hours if they wish, but they cannot be forced to do so).
Part time (part-time) is the term we use to describe employment with fewer hours per week than
a full-time job.
Time off is the term we use to describe time for rest or recreation away from one's usual work or
studies.
Time in lieu refers to taking time off instead of, or in addition to, receiving pay for overtime
worked or working on public or bank holidays.
Writing the time
morning
00:01 11:59
a.m. - stands for Ante Meridiem (the time
between midnight and noon)
00:01 hrs 12:00
noon or midday
12:00
p.m. - stands for Post Meridian (after noon)
12:01 24:00 hrs
afternoon
12:01 18:00
evening
18:01 22:00
night
22:01 24:00
midnight
24:00 /
00:00
There are 24 hours in a day, but only the military, police and computer programmers use the 24hour clock. When writing or speaking generally we tend to use the 12-hour clock. The 24 hours
of the day are divided into two periods called a.m. (Latin "ante meridiem" | English: "before mid
day") and p.m. (Latin "post meridiem" | English: "after mid day").
The way people write the time varies. I prefer a.m. and p.m.
Choose from the following styles or use what your English teacher tells you to and stick to it:a.m. p.m.
am pm
AM PM
A.M. P.M.
Some people (myself included) use a dot as the separator: 2.30 pm.
Some people use a colon as the separator: 2:30 pm. The colon is usually used with the 24-hour
clock: 14:30.
When you are writing the time decide whether to write it using numerals or words, and stick to
that.