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)

TIME (2)

12:00 = Twelve noon

(or noon)

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
or

Twelve forty-five
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
when will
meet at 12.30." you 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-HOURCLOCK, ONLY THE POLICE AND THE MILITARY ACTUALLY SPEAK USING THE
24 HOUR CLOCK:-

If it's before noon we tend to If it's after noon we say "in

If it's late we say "at night".
say "in the morning".
the afternoon".
07:00
14:00
22:00
It's seven o'clock in the
It's two o'clock in the
It's ten o'clock at night
morning.
afternoon.
15 minutes past the hour is
quarter past:
07:15
14:15
22:15
It's quarter past seven in the It's quarter past two in the
It's quarter past ten at night.
morning.
afternoon.
30 minutes past the hour is

half past:
07:30
It's half past seven in the
morning.
45 minutes past the hour is
quarter to:
07:45
It's quarter to eight in the
morning.

14:30
It's half past two in the
afternoon.

22:30
It's half past ten at night.

14:45
It's quarter to three in the
afternoon.

22:45
It's quarter to eleven at night.

HOW TO ASK THE TIME IN ENGLISH.

It's exactly eight o'clock.

or

o Excuse me. What time

is it, please?

It's eight.

It's half past twelve.

or

o Excuse me. Do you

have the time, please?

It's twelve thirty.

It's about half past eleven.

o Excuse me. Could you

tell me the time,
please?

or

It's around eleven thirty.

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.
Check these time idioms too.

WRITING THE TIME

morning
a.m. - stands for Ante Meridiem (the time
between midnight and noon)
noon or midday
p.m. - stands for Post Meridian (after noon)
afternoon
evening
night

00:01 11:59
00:01 hrs 12:00
12:00
12:01 24:00 hrs
12:01 18:00
18:01 22:00
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.