Time
Second: base unit of time. There are 60 seconds in one minute.Measure in seconds, minutes, hours, days is called time.Time includes:
- Minute: Unit of time that is equal to 60 seconds
- Hour: unit of time that is equal to 60 minutes
- Half: 30 minutes
- Quarter: 15 minutes
- O’clock: used for the hour without minutes
Clocks and watches
Device to indicate time is called clock. The clock can include:
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| Clocks and watches |
- Grandfather clock: a tall clock with pendulum that is in a carved wooden case. It is also called a longcase clock
- Alarm clock: a clock that is used to awaken people at a particular time with a sound.
- Watch: a small clock that is worn on a wrist
- Digital watch: a watch with a display that indicates time as a number
Telling time
Past is used after the minutes 1-30. To is used after the minutes 31-59.
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| Telling time |
- 9:00 it’s nine o’clock (abbreviation: of clock)
- 9:01 it’s one minute past nine
- 9:03 it’s three minutes past nine
- 9:05 it’s five past nine (also nine oh five)
- 9:10 it’s ten past nine (also nine ten)
- 9:15 it’s a quarter past nine (also nine fifteen)
- 9:30 it’s half past nine (also nine thirty)
- 9:40 It’s twenty to ten (also nine forty)
- 9:45 it’s a quarter to ten (also nine forty-five)
- 9:50 it’s ten to ten (also nine fifty)
- 9:57 it’s three minutes to ten
- 10:00 it’s ten o’clock
12-hour clock
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| AM and PM |
We use a.m. and p.m. for 12-hour clock.
- a.m. (ante meridiem): before midday
- p.m. (post meridiem): after midday
Compare
The 24-hour clock
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The 12-hour clock
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00:00
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12:00 am (midnight)
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09:00
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9:00 am
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10:30
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10:30 am
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12:00
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12:00 pm (noon)
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13:45
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1:45 pm
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20:15
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8:15 pm
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24:00
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Midnight
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| The 12-hour clock |
Asking the time
We can use different ways to ask the time:
- What is the time? (informal)
- What time is it? (informal)
- What time is it, please?
- Could you tell me the time, please? (more formal)
- Do you happen to have the time?
- Do you know what time is it?
