Showing Time in English: How to Tell the Time Correctly
Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to tell the time in English but didn’t know how? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we will guide you on how to show time correctly in English and provide examples for better understanding.
Basic Vocabulary for Telling Time
Before we dive into the specifics of telling time in English, let’s first familiarize ourselves with some basic vocabulary related to time:
1. Hours: The 24-hour clock is commonly used in English-speaking countries. For example, instead of saying “7 PM,” it would be “19:00” or “nineteen hundred hours.”
2. Minutes: There are 60 minutes in an hour, and they are typically expressed as a fraction of an hour (e.g., half past one).
3. Seconds: The smallest unit of time measurement is seconds.
4. AM/PM: These abbreviations stand for Ante Meridiem (before noon) and Post Meridiem (after noon), respectively.
How to Show Time
Now that we have a good understanding of the basic vocabulary let’s move on to how to tell the time correctly:
1. Using ‘o’clock’: When it is exactly an hour (e.g., 1 o’clock), you can simply say “[hour] o’clock.” For example, 6 o’clock.
2. Using ‘Past’ and ‘To’: To indicate minutes past or before an hour, you can use phrases like “past” or “to.” For instance, if it’s 10 minutes past 5 PM, you could say “five ten.”
3. Quarter Hours: When it’s exactly fifteen minutes past or before an hour, use the term ‘quarter.’ For example, quarter past three.
4. Half Past: When it’s exactly thirty minutes past or before an hour, use the term ‘half.’ For instance, half past six.
Examples:
– It is 8 AM.
– It is half past nine.
– It is quarter to twelve.
Now that you have learned how to tell the time correctly in English using various methods and examples provided above,
you should feel more confident when asked about what time it is next.
Remember practice makes perfect! Keep practicing telling time until you feel comfortable with all possible combinations and variations.
In conclusion,
tellingtimeinEnglishisnoteasybutfamiliarizingyourselfwiththebasicvocabularyandpracticingshowingtimecorrectlywillhelpyoumasterthistechnique.RememberthateachcountryhasitsownwayofexpressingtimebutlearninghowtotellthetimeinEnglishwilldefinitelycomeinhandyinvarioussituations.WehopethisarticlehashelpedyouimproveyourEnglishtellingskillsandthatyoufeelmorereadynexttimethequestion”Whatisthetime?”comesup!
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