ENGLISH 4U
English Language Learning

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What's The Time?

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How to tell the time in English

a.m. - p.m.

a.m. = ante meridiem = the time from midnight to noon = from 00:00 to 12:00

p.m. = post meridiem = the time from noon to midnight = from 12:00 to 24:00

The 24-hour clock is the most commonly used time notation in the world today.

But in English speaking countries the 12-hour clock is the dominant system of time written and spoken.

The 24-hour clock is only used by the military in the United States and Canada.

 

24-hour and 12-hour clock

Examples:
     
24-hour 12-hour  
11:00 11 a.m. It's eleven o'clock a.m.
23:00 11 p.m. It's eleven o'clock p.m.
10:30 10.30 a.m. It's half past ten a.m.
22:30 10:30 p.m. It's half past ten p.m.
04:45 4:45 a.m. It's a quarter to five a.m.
16:45 4:45 p.m. It's a quarter to five p.m.
08:15 8:15 a.m. It's a quarter past eight a.m.
20:15 8:15 p.m. It's a quarter past eight p.m.
09:10 9:10 a.m. It's ten (minutes) past nine a.m.
11:20 11:20 a.m. It' twenty (minutes) past eleven a.m.
21:50 9:50 p.m. It's ten (minutes) to ten p.m.
19:40 7:40 p.m. It's twenty (minutes) to eight p.m.

 

Asking for the time

There are two questions to ask for the time: What's the time? or What time is it?

 


EXERCISES

What's The Time - Exercise 1 - digital time

What's The Time - Exercise 2 - digital time

What's The Time - Exercise 3 - analog time

What's The Time - Exercise 4 - analog time

What's The Time - Exercise 5 - matching exercise

What's The Time - Exercise 6 - matching exercise

What's The Time - Exercise 7 - matching exercise

What's The Time - Exercise 8 - matching exercise