1.5.
Time and Dates
Introduction
Welcome to the lesson on "Time and Dates"! Knowing how to talk about time and dates is super important in
English. You'll need it to make appointments, talk about your schedule, understand when things are happening,
and just generally communicate effectively. Don't worry, we'll go through it step-by-step, and you'll be telling the
time and talking about dates like a pro in no time! Let's get started!
Telling the Time
The Basics
O'Clock: We use "o'clock" for times that are on the hour.
Example: It's 1 o'clock. (1:00)
Example: It's 5 o'clock. (5:00)
Past: We use "past" to say the minutes after the hour.
Example: It's five past one. (1:05)
Example: It's ten past three. (3:10)
Example: It's twenty past two. (2:20)
Example: It's twenty-five past four. (4:25)
Half Past: "Half past" means 30 minutes after the hour.
Example: It's half past six. (6:30)
Example: It's half past eleven. (11:30)
To: We use "to" to say the minutes before the next hour.
Example: It's ten to two. (1:50)
Example: It's twenty to five. (4:40)
Example: It's five to ten. (9:55)
Quarter Past / Quarter To: "Quarter" means 15 minutes.
Example: It's quarter past three. (3:15)
Example: It's quarter to eight. (7:45)
Examples
Let's look at some more examples:
1:15: It's quarter past one.
2:30: It's half past two.
3:45: It's quarter to four.
4:00: It's four o'clock.
5:10: It's ten past five.
6:55: It's five to seven.
A.M. and P.M.
A.M. (Ante Meridiem): From midnight (12:00 AM) to noon (12:00 PM). Think of it as "before midday".
Example: 7:00 AM is seven o'clock in the morning.
P.M. (Post Meridiem): From noon (12:00 PM) to midnight (12:00 AM). Think of it as "after midday".
Example: 7:00 PM is seven o'clock in the evening.
Talking About Dates
Days of the Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Months of the Year
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
How to Write Dates
In English, there are two common ways to write dates:
British English: Day / Month / Year (e.g., 25/12/2024) Read as "the twenty-fifth of December, twenty
twenty-four."
American English: Month / Day / Year (e.g., 12/25/2024) Read as "December twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-
four."
Important: Be careful! The order is different.
Ordinal Numbers
We use ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) for dates.
1st - first
2nd - second
3rd - third
4th - fourth
5th - fifth
6th - sixth
7th - seventh
8th - eighth
9th - ninth
10th - tenth
11th - eleventh
12th - twelfth
13th - thirteenth
20th - twentieth
21st - twenty-first
22nd - twenty-second
23rd - twenty-third
30th - thirtieth
31st - thirty-first
Saying Dates
"What's the date today?"
"Today is the 1st of January." (British English)
"Today is January 1st." (American English)
"My birthday is on the 15th of April."
"The meeting is on October 22nd."
Common Phrases and Vocabulary
What time is it? - Asking for the current time.
Do you have the time? - Another way to ask for the current time.
On time: Not late.
Late: Not on time.
Early: Before the expected time.
Appointment: A scheduled meeting.
Schedule: A plan for when things will happen.
Weekend: Saturday and Sunday.
Weekday: Monday to Friday.
Daily: Every day.
Weekly: Every week.
Monthly: Every month.
Yearly: Every year.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Tell the Time
What time is it? Write the time in words.
1. 3:00
2. 6:15
3. 9:30
4. 12:45
5. 2:05
6. 5:50
7. 7:20
8. 10:35
9. 1:55
10. 4:00 AM
11. 8:00 PM
Exercise 2: Write the Dates
Write the dates in the two ways (British and American):
1. May 10, 2025
2. November 3, 2023
3. February 28, 2024
4. July 4, 2026
5. September 1, 2023
Exercise 3: Answer the Questions
1. What day is today?
2. What month is it?
3. What's the date tomorrow?
4. When is your birthday?
5. What time do you usually wake up?
6. What time do you usually go to bed?
Answer Key
Exercise 1:
1. Three o'clock
2. Quarter past six
3. Half past nine
4. Quarter to one
5. Five past two
6. Ten to six
7. Twenty past seven
8. Twenty-five to eleven
9. Five to two
10. Four o'clock AM / Four in the morning
11. Eight o'clock PM / Eight in the evening
Exercise 2:
1. British: 10/05/2025, American: 05/10/2025
2. British: 03/11/2023, American: 11/03/2023
3. British: 28/02/2024, American: 02/28/2024
4. British: 04/07/2026, American: 07/04/2026
5. British: 01/09/2023, American: 09/01/2023
Exercise 3: (Answers will vary depending on the current date and time and the student's personal information.)
Summary
Congratulations! You've learned the basics of telling time and talking about dates in English. Remember the
importance of "o'clock," "past," "to," "quarter," "half past," A.M., and P.M. for time. And for dates, remember the
days of the week, months of the year, and the difference between British and American date formats. Keep
practicing, and you'll become more confident in your ability to talk about time and dates in English! Keep
learning!
