What time is it?
Students look at an analogue clock and say the time in words. Easy covers o'clock, half past, quarter past, and quarter to. Normal adds the five-minute times, such as five past, ten to, and twenty-five past.
The clock is a 12-hour clock. In English the wording is British: five past three, twenty to four, quarter to one. The same questions are ready in Turkish, German, Spanish, and French.
How to tell the time in English
Reading an analogue clock in English comes down to one simple rule: look at the minute hand first.
From :01 to :30, we say the minutes past the hour.
From :31 to :59, we say the minutes to the next hour.
At exactly the hour, we say o'clock. At 15 minutes we say quarter, and at 30 minutes we say half.
| Time | How to say it |
|---|---|
| 3:00 | three o'clock |
| 3:05 | five past three |
| 3:15 | quarter past three |
| 3:30 | half past three |
| 3:40 | twenty to four |
| 3:45 | quarter to four |
| 3:55 | five to four |
| 12:45 | quarter to one |
Notice that after half past, the hour changes. At 3:40 the hour hand is still between 3 and 4, but we say "twenty to four" because we're counting down to the next hour.
Common mistakes
Using the wrong hour after half past
3:45 is "quarter to four", not "quarter to three". This is the most common mistake for learners at every level.
Using "o'clock" with minutes
We only say o'clock for full hours. "Three o'clock" is correct, but "three thirty o'clock" is not.
Confusing "half" across languages
In German, halb vier means 3:30 (half to four). In English, "half past four" means 4:30. German speakers often say "half four" when they mean 3:30, which confuses English speakers. In informal British English, "half four" actually means 4:30.
Saying "fifteen past" instead of "quarter past"
It's understandable, but native speakers almost always say "quarter past" and "quarter to".
Ideas for the classroom
Projector warm-up
Put the clock on the board and ask the whole class to call out the time before you reveal the answer. It takes five minutes and works well at the start of a lesson.
Pairs race
Students work in pairs on one device. One reads the clock aloud, the other checks the answer. Swap roles every five questions.
Level up
Start everyone on Easy (o'clock, half past, quarter past, quarter to), then move to Normal for five-minute times once the class is confident.
Daily routines link
After a few rounds, ask students what they usually do at each time shown: "At quarter past seven I have breakfast." This turns a quick drill into speaking practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is this British or American English?
British. American speakers also say "quarter after three" and "ten of four", and often just read the digits ("three fifteen"). All of these are correct.
Is there a 24-hour clock version?
Not yet. The quiz uses a 12-hour analogue clock, which is how most people say the time in everyday conversation.
Can I use it in other languages?
Yes. The same quiz is available in German, Spanish, French and Turkish, using the natural way of telling the time in each language.