Telling Time

In the U.S., time is usually told on the 12, rather than 24-hour clock. Distinctions between morning, afternoon, and evening are made by adding a.m. or p.m. 2 p.m. is therefore two o"clock in the afternoon; 6 a.m. is six o"clock in the morning.

HERE ARE SOME USEFUL EXPRESSIONS RELATED TO TIME:

-- What time is it? - It"s 11 p.m.

-- Do you have the time? - Yes, it"s 12 noon.

-- What time should I arrive? - Around 3 p.m.

-- How much time will it take? -No more than 20 minutes.

When referring to 12:00 at night, you can say midnight. When referring to 12:00 during the day, you can say noon.

Here are some examples of how to express time in English:

-- If it"s 10:15 you could say either

It"s quarter past (after) ten.
OR: It"s ten fifteen.

-- If it"s 5:30, you could say either

It"s half past five.
OR: It"s five thirty.

-- If it"s 8:45, you could say either

It"s quarter till nine.
OR: It"s eight forty-five.

For all other times, simply list the hour first, then the number of minutes:

It"s 3:25 = It"s three twenty-five.

It"s 10:35 = It"s ten thirty-five
OR: It"s twenty-five till eleven.