CEFR A1

    Telling the Time

    Learn to ask and tell time in English. Master expressions like o'clock, half past, quarter to/past with helpful clock images.

    Telling the Time

    What You Will Learn

    Learn to say the time in English. Use o'clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to.

    Say o'clock for exact hours
    Say half past for 30 minutes
    Say quarter past/to for 15 minutes
    Ask: "What time is it?"

    Basic Time Words

    Use o'clock for exact hours. Use half past for 30 minutes past the hour.

    It's three o'clock.It's half past six.It's 9 o'clock.It's half past twelve.

    Writing times

    3:00 = three o'clock. 6:30 = half past six. Always use 'It's...' to tell the time. 'What time is it?' → 'It's three o'clock.'

    Learn 4 easy ways to say the time in English.

    A clock showing three o'clock with hour hand at 3 and minute hand at 12
    o'clock
    "three o'clock"
    A clock showing half past three with hour hand between 3 and 4 and minute hand at 6
    half past
    "half past three"
    A clock showing quarter past three with hour hand slightly past 3 and minute hand at 3
    quarter past
    "quarter past three"
    A clock showing quarter to four with hour hand almost at 4 and minute hand at 9
    quarter to
    "quarter to four"

    Easy Rule!

    Start with "It's..." then say the time.

    ✓ It's three o'clock.

    ✓ It's half past two.

    ✓ It's quarter past four.

    ✓ It's quarter to six.

    A Day with Clocks

    Tom looks at the kitchen clock. "It's seven o'clock," he says. Time to wake up!

    At school, the teacher asks: "What time is it?" Tom looks at the wall clock. "It's half past nine!"

    At lunchtime, Tom's friend asks: "What's the time?" Tom checks his watch. "It's quarter past twelve."

    After school, Tom gets home. "It's quarter to four," says his mum. "Time for a snack!"

    Tom uses four time expressions every day: o'clock, half past, quarter past, and quarter to. These four phrases are all you need to tell the time!

    Ask For The Time

    Questions

    ✓ What time is it?

    ✓ What's the time?

    ✓ Do you have the time?

    Answers

    A clock showing two o'clock with hour hand at 2 and minute hand at 12

    "It's two o'clock."

    A clock showing half past five with hour hand between 5 and 6 and minute hand at 6

    "It's half past five."

    Practice

    Q: What time is it?

    A clock showing quarter past four with hour hand slightly past 4 and minute hand at 3

    A: __________

    💡 Answer
    "It's quarter past four."

    Want to try a Telling the Time quiz?

    Practice with multiple choice questions

    Daily Times

    Times you use every day.

    A clock showing seven o'clock with hour hand at 7 and minute hand at 12
    ☀️

    I wake up at seven o'clock.

    A clock showing half past eight with hour hand between 8 and 9 and minute hand at 6
    🏫

    School starts at half past eight.

    A clock showing quarter past twelve with hour hand slightly past 12 and minute hand at 3
    🍽️

    Lunch is at quarter past twelve.

    A clock showing quarter to four with hour hand almost at 4 and minute hand at 9
    🏠

    I finish work at quarter to four.

    A clock showing nine o'clock with hour hand at 9 and minute hand at 12
    🛏️

    I go to bed at nine o'clock.

    Ready to test your Telling the Time knowledge?

    Challenge yourself with fill-in-the-blank exercises

    Common Mistakes

    ❌ It's three o'clock time.

    ✓ It's three o'clock.

    ❌ It's half to three.

    ✓ It's half past three.

    ❌ It's quarter past to four.

    ✓ It's quarter to four.

    ❌ It's three and a half.

    ✓ It's half past three.

    Master Telling the Time sentence building!

    Drag and drop words to form correct sentences

    Noon & Midnight

    Two special times of day have special names.

    A clock showing twelve o'clock with both hands at 12
    ☀️ Noon / Midday

    12:00 in the day is called "noon" or "midday".

    "It's noon."
    "Lunch is at midday."

    A clock showing twelve o'clock with both hands at 12
    🌙 Midnight

    12:00 at night is called "midnight".

    "It's midnight."
    "I go to bed before midnight."

    Remember This!

    ✓ Noon = 12:00 in the day (lunch time)

    ✓ Midday = same as noon

    ✓ Midnight = 12:00 at night (sleep time)

    ✓ Say: "It's noon." not "It's twelve o'clock noon."

    More Practice

    Say These Times

    A clock showing one o'clock with hour hand at 1 and minute hand at 12

    one o'clock

    A clock showing half past six with hour hand between 6 and 7 and minute hand at 6

    half past six

    A clock showing quarter past ten with hour hand slightly past 10 and minute hand at 3

    quarter past ten

    A clock showing quarter to nine with hour hand almost at 9 and minute hand at 9

    quarter to nine

    Practice Tips

    ✓ Practice with your watch or phone

    ✓ Say the time when you look at a clock

    ✓ Start with o'clock times first

    ✓ Use "half past" for :30 times

    ✓ Remember: quarter = 15 minutes

    Speaking Practice

    To practice your pronunciation, listen to the native speaker audio first. Then 'Record' yourself repeating what you heard, then use the 'Playback' button to compare your pronunciation with the native speaker. If you want to record yourself again, simply click 'Delete'!

    It's three o'clock.

    It's half past two.

    It's quarter past four.

    It's quarter to six.

    What time is it?

    I wake up at seven o'clock.

    I have lunch at midday.

    I go to bed at half past nine.

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