212: Read & Listen: How to Tell Time
OVERVIEW
On this page, you will learn how to tell time.
- First, read the text and study the charts.
- Then, listen to audio of the text.
READ & LISTEN
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What Time Is It?
When we tell time, we use the phrase "It is ... ."
What time is it? It is 3:00 PM.
When is your class? It is at 10:00 a.m.
To make it clear if we are talking about morning or night, we use AM or PM. AM is from 12:00 midnight to 11:59 in the morning. PM is from 12:00 noon (midday) to 11:59 at night. You will see AM and PM written in different ways, as shown below.
12:00 a.m. 12:00 am 12:00 AM
12:00 p.m. 12:00 pm 12:00 PM
Listen:
Common Time Phrases
We can use time phrases to give more information about the time.
| TIME PHRASE | EXAMPLE | TIME |
| in the morning | I go to class at 8 in the morning. |
8:00 AM |
| in the afternoon | I pick up my child at 3:10 in the afternoon. |
3:10 PM |
| in the evening | We eat dinner at 6:30 in the evening. |
6:30 PM |
| at night | I go to bed at 11 at night. |
11:00 PM |
| at | The movie starts at 9:35. |
9:35 |
| from ... to ... | Our class meets from 10:00 in the morning to 12:50 in the afternoon. |
10:00 AM 12:50 PM |
| AM | My class starts at 10:00 a.m. |
10:00 AM |
| PM | My class finishes at 12:50 pm. |
12:50 PM |
| o'clock | I get up at 6 o'clock in the morning. |
6:00 AM |
| after/past | I take a shower at a quarter past six. |
6:15 AM |
| to/till | I eat breakfast at twenty to seven. |
6:40 AM |
HOW TO TELL TIME Links to an external site.
Listen:
Parts of the Hour
Sometimes we use fractions to tell time. An hour is sixty (60) minutes. Fifteen (15) minutes is a quarter (1/4) of an hour. Thirty (30) minutes is half (1/2) of an hour.
| TIME | EXAMPLE | CLOCK |
| 6:15 | It is a quarter past 6:00. |
|
| 4:30 | It is half past 4. |
|
| 12:45 | It is a quarter to 1. |
|
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Listen: