Learn to talk about time and ask the time in English requires Real Player. On the hour Past / to the hour Prepositions What to say Work Time Writing the time Time Idioms Time 1 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. 0000 and 2400 = Twelve midnight or midnight 1200 = Twelve noon or noon Time 2 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". At other "odd" times, when we want to be accurate, we add the word "minutes"- 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 In a length of time "When shall we meet? "Let's meet at "It's when will you be ready? "I'll see you in an hour, at about Naturally speaking Digital clocks often show the time this way using the 24-hour-clock, only the police and the military actually speak using the 24 hour clock- If it's before noon we tend to say "in the morning". If it's after noon we say "in the afternoon". If it's late we say "at night". It's seven o'clock in the morning. It's two o'clock in the afternoon. It's ten o'clock at night 15 minutes past the hour is quarter past It's quarter past seven in the morning. It's quarter past two in the afternoon. It's quarter past ten at night. 30 minutes past the hour is half past It's half past seven in the morning. It's half past two in the afternoon. It's half past ten at night. 45 minutes past the hour is quarter to It's quarter to eight in the morning. It's quarter to three in the afternoon. It's quarter to eleven at night. How to ask the time in English. 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 0001 - 1159 - stands for Ante Meridiem the time between midnight and noon 0001 hrs - 1200 noon or midday 1200 - stands for Post Meridian after noon 1201 - 2400 hrs afternoon 1201 - 1800 evening 1801 - 2200 night 2201 - 2400 midnight 2400 / 0000 There are 24 hours in a day, but only the military, police and computer programmers use the 24-hour 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 Latin "ante meridiem" English "before mid day" and Latin "post meridiem" English "after mid day". The way people write the time varies. I prefer and Choose from the following styles or use what your English teacher tells you to and stick to it- am pm AM PM Some people use a dot as the separator pm. Some people use a colon as the separator 230 pm. The colon is usually used with the 24-hour clock 1430. When you are writing the time decide whether to write it using numerals or words, and stick to that.