Telling the time in English

Hello and welcome to how to tell the time in English.

Now to tell the time in English there are basically two ways or two methods that we use.

The first method, we take the time here is we read the time from left to right so this is simply 9, 10. Now if we go back over to our clock here, going clockwise, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55. So in the case of 9:10 our clock looks like this, with the small hand pointing to the 9 and the large hand pointing to the 10 or 2, but in this case we use 10, meaning 10 minutes.

Ok let's have a look at another time. Say, this time. Again we read from left to right, so we're saying 11, 35. If we look at our clock again. We'll start here, 11, which is the small hand, points to the 11 and the number 35 which is where? Down here is the large hand. So our clock looks like this 11:35. Ok left to right. 11:35.

Ok let's have a look at another time. For example. Again we go from left to right, simply 12:15. Ok so we'll just use this clock here. The small hand points to the 12 and the large hand points to 15. So in this case this is how our clock looks. 12:15. Ok left to right 12:15.

Ok let's use another example, again just simply read from left to right 3, 50 Where is 50? It's up here where the 10 minute mark is. So again if we set our clock, the small hand points to the 3 and our large hand points to the 50. Our clock looks like this 3:50.

Ok let's have a look at another time. From left to right again 1, 55. Left to right 1:55. So our small hand which is indicated by the left column is pointing to the 1 and 55 on our clock is up here where the 11 is, so our clock is 1:55 like such. Ok so that's how we read in method number 1 or way number 1. It's quite simple, just simply left to right. Ok.

Ok so do you have a clock there or just draw on a piece of paper. Where do you think the hands are in relation to this time?

Excuse me, what's the time? It is 6:30 Can you draw that? Draw the clock 6:30. Ok so first of all we point our small hand to the 6 and our large hand to the 30 which is also at the 6, so our clock looks something like this. 6:30. Large hand pointing to the 6 and small hand also pointing to the 6.

Ok what about a time like this. Ok simply again left to right 2, 25. So our small hand goes to the 2 and 25 is where the 5pm is. So our large hand goes to the 25. 2:25 Ok I'll just get rid of these here so we don't get confused.

Ok, now what about the next time. Can you draw where this clock would be. Ok, the small hand pointing to the 7, large hand pointing to the 35. 35 here. So our clock looks something like this. 7:35. Ok left to right. Ok we'll just do a couple more.

How to read this time. You could simply just read it again left to right 1, 05 or you could miss out or you could miss out on the zero and just say 1, 5
1, 5. Excuse me what's the time? Oh it's 1,5. Which means the small hand is on the 1 and the large hand is also on the 1. 1,5. They correspond don't they, 1 and 5. So that's how that clock looks there.

Ok and, what about this time here. Again simply just read from left to right 3, 20. Where is the 20 minute mark? It is here. So our clock looks like this. Small hand goes to the 3 and the large hand goes to the 4, where the 20 minute mark is. 3:20

Ok that's method number 1. Now let's have a look at method number 2.

Now the second method of telling the time, what we have to do is divide our clock into 2 halves, right down the middle like this. Ok now everything on the right hand side here we refer to as past or after. Everything on the left hand side here we refer to as to or before. Alright now you'll notice our times have changed a little bit to here we've gone from 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, ok on the past. However on the to we go back anticlockwise and we say 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. Ok now we don't, we really basically stop here at ah at 29. 29 minutes for to and before.

Now let's just have a look at a few times just to see ah to see if we can get the hang of things.

Alright if we start off with a time like this, we know with method number 1 that we just read from left to right which was 3:10.

Ok, however with method number 2, we start with the right hand side here first and then the second. We know now we start with the right hand side and then the left hand side. So we start off here at 10, 10 is on the past or after side of the equation, so we must say 10 past 3. Alright, 10 after 3.

So if someone says to me excuse me do you have the time? I would say yes it's either 10 past 3 or 10 after 3. And our clock looks like this. Big hand pointing to the 10 and the small hand pointing to the 3. 10 past 3, 10 after 3.

OK let's have a look at another one down on the left hand side here.

Ok now our first method we know that is was just simply 7:20. Now this method however we reverse the order, we start with the 20. 20 which is down here. 20 which is on the right hand side of the clock. 20 past 7. 20 after 7.

Ok so anything on, just remember anything on the right side of the clock is past or after in the order 1, 2 and you can't go wrong.

Now let's have a look at a few times on the left hand side of the clock here.

Ok now in the first method we know that we simply just read that 2:35 and we remembered that our 35 was down here like such, however with this method we count back so we're saying basically to, as in going to. So it's going to the next time. So we're coming back in a anti clockwise way so 35 as we know on our clock is down here, so we don't say 35 to, we have to say, we work back here, 25 to, where is the clock going? We're going to, so it actually going to the next hour which is 3. So we read that time as 25 to, it's going to the next hour, 25 to, what's the next number after 2? 3. So the time is 25 to 3 or 25 before 3. Ok so we're not staying on 2, on this side of the equation, we're going to the next hour which is, the next hour after 2 is 3.

Now that might be a little bit confusing so let's just work though another couple of times until we get the hang of it.

Ok let's have a look at this time. Ok now method number 1, we could just read that simply as 7:45. Ok this method however we know that the 45 minute mark is right here, so we could say it's 15 to the next number after 7 is… where is it going to? It's going to 8 o'clock. So we could say 15 to 8. Or a quarter to 8. Or 15 before 8. 15 before, 15 to 8. Ok, so 15 to 8, 15 before 8. Ok so we can read these numbers here 15 or a quarter, to or before. Ok so that clock there 7:45 or a quarter to 8, will look like that. Ok 7:45 it's on it's way as this hand moves up. Goes up to, after 15 minutes the clock is going to go like that isn't it! So it's on its way to 8 o'clock. So this point in time it's a quarter to 8, 15 before 8. Ok.

Now let's have a look at another time. 1:50. Ok this method we go to our 50 which we know is here, and what's this time? 10 to. What's the next hour after 1? 2. So it is 10 to 2, 10 before 2. Ok, 1:50 we could go to there. Ok we go to there. Now the clock is on its way up to the 2 isn't it. So as it moves up here, after 10 minutes it's going to be 2 o'clock. How many minutes before 2? 10 minutes before 2. Ok see that? It's nearly 2 o'clock. As the big hand keeps going around, it's got 10 minutes to go before 2 o'clock. So we say 10 minutes to 2.

Have a look at another one. 6:30, ok now again we don't say 30 to, past stops at 30. Ok so we just read that here, 30 past 6, which we don't usually use that often, we generally use half, down at the bottom here, half past. Half past 6. Ok so remember on the right hand side here we're saying that we stop at 30 minute mark. Anything after 30 goes into the 2 or before category. But up until 30 we use past. Generally 30 after 6 is ok. 30 past 6 is ok, although it's not very common in English, generally we just say half, half past 6.

So our clock looks a bit like this. It's exactly half way past 6 like such. Ok if it was to move over, for instance we give it 1 more minute. If we make that for instance 6:31, then that pushes us over into the to or before side of the clock, then we'd have to count back and say ok well with 31 we go back this way, is 29 to. Ok where's it going to? If the clock keeps going all around here it's eventually going to go  to 7 o'clock. So 29 to 7, or 29 before 7. Excuse me what's the time? It's 29 to 7. Or 29 before 7.

Remember this side of the equation up until 29 if we count back this way with this kind of way and past is going that way. So the 2 times are going a little bit like that.

Ok let's have a look at another time. Ok so we just read that again 4:55. Or with this time here. Where's 55? It's here. 5 to, where's the 4 what's after the 4? Where's the 4 going to? Next hour after 4, 4, 5. So it is 5 to 5. 5 before 5.

So our clock looks something like this. That's what our clock looks like. And as it goes around, 5 more minutes, it's on its way to 5 o'clock. So it's currently 5 minutes to 5 o'clock. 5 minutes before 5 o'clock.

Ok so they're the 2 ways of telling the time. The first method is quite simple, we just read from left to right 4:55, the second time the second method is a little bit different cause we need to divide our clock, down the center, counting back to 29 on the to side on the left hand side and everything down on the right hand side here is up until the 30.

Don't forget 15 or a quarter, 15 or a quarter, half past.

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