Am and pm: how to say the time in English? How to tell the time in English? Time of day designation

The ability to say the time in English is one of the basic skills that students who want to thoroughly learn the language should work out to automatism. For the name of time, as well as time frames and intervals, simple, but clear and fairly rigid grammatical constructions are used, the slightest violation of which can result in misunderstanding.

To indicate the time in English, not only classic authentic phrases can be used, but also international indicators - such as A.M., P.M.., time PDT and time EST. Having clearly mastered their meaning and application, one can freely navigate both in complex texts and in communication with native speakers.

Basic words on the topic "Time"

The basic vocabulary for tenses in English consists of the following words:

• o "clock- time
• a minute- minute
• a half- half
• an hour- hour
• a quarter- quarter
• to- to (in the second half of the hour)
• past- after (in the first half of the hour)
• sharp (exactly)- exactly (of time)

How to say time in English

In the designation of time in English, several nuances can be distinguished - even time, time in the first and second half of the current hour, and time in minutes that are not multiples of five.

Flat time

The classic option is to use a phrase with the word o "clock.

It's six o "clock - It's exactly 6 o'clock now.

It's eight o "clock - It's exactly 8 o'clock now.

It's ten o "clock - It's exactly 10 o'clock now.

In some cases, the meaning of even time can be reinforced by the word sharp or exactly.

It's two o'clock sharp - It's exactly two o'clock now.

It's exactly seven o'clock - It's exactly seven o'clock now.

Time in the first half of the current hour

Speaking of time after zero minutes in English, constructions with the word past. In this context, it indicates how many minutes have passed since the specified hour.

It "s five past four - 5 minutes past five ("5 minutes after four" literally)

It's ten past two. - 10 minutes after two ("10 minutes after two" literally)

It's twenty past one - 20 minutes past one ("20 minutes past one" literally)

Half and 15 minutes of the hour is a special case. Time in English in such a situation is indicated with the help of words half and a quarter.

For example:

It's half past twelve - Half past one ("half after twelve" literally)

It's a quarter past two - 15 minutes past three ("a quarter after two" literally)

To know how to call time in English correctly, you need to pay attention to the fact that when designating the first half of an hour, an hour that has already come is used!

In addition, in American English you can find a variant with the word after.

It's ten after eight - 10 minutes past eight.

Time in the second half of the current hour

To name the time from half before the new hour, use constructions with the word to. In place of the hour, the time that should come is set.

It's ten to five - Without 10 minutes five (literally "10 minutes to five")

It's five to seven - Five minutes to seven (literally "5 minutes to seven")

It's twenty to four - Twenty minutes to four (literally "20 minutes to four")

A quarter is also used to indicate the last quarter of an hour.

It's a quarter to two - Fifteen minutes to two (literally "15 minutes to two")

In the American version, instead of to meets of.

It's ten of three - Ten to three.

Time in minutes, not a multiple of five

The principle of notation of time in this case is the same, and the grammatical constructions do not change. The only difference is the obligatory use of the word minutes after the numerical designation of minutes.

It's eleven minutes past three - Eleven minutes past three.

It's nineteen minutes to twelve - Nineteen minutes to twelve.

How to ask about the time

To clarify the time in English, the following phrases are used:

What time is it? - What time is it now?

What time is it now? - What time is it now?

What's the time? -What time is it?

Have you got the time? - Do you have a watch?

Could you tell me the time please? - Can you tell me what time it is?

Do you happen to have the time? - Do you happen to know what time it is?

P.M. value and A.M.

Abbreviation p.m. or a.m. near the designation of time plunges some into confusion. So what is time a.m. and p.m. in English and when can such abbreviations be used? P.M. Is it morning or evening? These are the questions that come up most often.

Before answering the question about decoding a.m. and p.m., it is worth remembering that time can be given in both 24-hour and 12-hour formats. In England, only the 12-hour clock is used!

To avoid confusion when naming the time, a.m. is added to the digital value. (am) or p.m. (pm). The designations are translated as follows:

A.M. - ante meridiem("before noon" in Latin, interval from 00:00 to 12:00)

P.M. - post meridiem("afternoon" in Latin, interval from 12:00 to 00:00)

Therefore, answering the question about time in English using the 12 hour format can be done as follows:

It's six p.m. now. - It's 6 pm now.

It's about nine a.m.. - It's about 9 a.m. now.

Even when the answer to the question about the meaning and translation of p.m. and a.m. into English is clarified, there may still be difficulties. First of all, this is a clarification of the transition time. Questions “12 p.m. - how much is this?" and "12 a.m. - how much is this? Is it morning or evening? often require further explanation.

In this case, just remember:

12 p.m. - 12 noon (NOON)!
12 a.m. - 12 o'clock NIGHT (MIDNIGHT)!

If there is no certainty that the designation is remembered correctly, the question about time can be answered:

It's midday | It's noon - It's noon now.

It "s midnight - It's midnight now.

No less popular are designs using in the morning, in the evening, in the afternoon.

It's eight o "clock in the morning - 8 o'clock in the morning.

It's ten o "clock in the evening - 10 pm.

It's three o "clock in the afternoon - 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

Time in PDT and EST

Often in business and scientific documentation you can find two more temporary abbreviations - PDT and EST, since they are used quite often, it is worth clarifying their meaning.

PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)- PDT. It differs from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by -7 hours, the time difference with Moscow is 11 hours. Operates in the USA. from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. Thus, if in Moscow it is 18:30, then in the USA at this time it is 7:30 in the morning.

EST (Eastern Standard Time)- North American Eastern Time. This is a time zone that differs from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by -5 hours and from Moscow time by -8 hours. This belt contains 23 states of the USA, including Connecticut, New York and Florida, three provinces of Canada and 9 countries of the Caribbean, Central and South America. 18:30 Moscow time is 10:30 EST.

Correction of time according to the indicated time zones is often used in international negotiations, tracking international cargo, astronomical observations, and also in other necessary cases.

Useful phrases related to time

For the free use of time notation in English, the following phrases, words and expressions may come in handy:

about - about, approximately (It's about eleven - It's about 11 o'clock now)

almost - almost, practically (It's almost midnight - Almost midnight)

on the dot - exactly (and not a second later) (Meet you at half past nine in the evening on the dot - Meet you at exactly half past ten in the evening).

just gone - the beginning, just arrived, a little more (It's just gone seven. - Now a little more than seven hours)

If it is impossible to answer the question about the time or the wrong answer, the following phrases are used:

My watch is slow. - My clock is slow.

I've left my watch at home. - I forgot my watch at home.

My watch is stolen. - My watch was stolen.

My watch is broken. - My watch is broken.

Your watch is fast. - Your clock is running fast.

I've lost my watch. - I lost my watch.

When naming time and time intervals, certain prepositions are used:

		at eight o'clock
	before (such and such hour), by (such and such hour)	by eight o'clock	before 8 o'clock, by 8 o'clock
	during	for eight o'clock	within 8 hours
		from eight till ten	from 8 to 10 o'clock
		eight o'clock	after 8 hours
		since eight o'clock
		till eight o'clock	up to 8 hours

In English, the numerals indicating the time are often followed by the cryptic letters am or pm. What is the meaning of these abbreviations and how do they stand for?

Incomprehensible letter designations with dots "a.m" and "p.m" are used to indicate European time, which is calculated in a 12-hour format, and not in our usual 24-hour format. The Americans' day is divided into 2 halves - from 12 noon to 12 noon and is marked with the letters a.m., and the rest of the time is marked with p.m.

In other words, the abbreviation "a.m" is the time before noon: from 12 o'clock at night to 12 o'clock the next day. It stands for Ante meridiem - a Latin phrase that translates as "before noon." The time from noon to 12 midnight is denoted by the abbreviation "p.m" - this is the time after 12 noon. It stands for Post meridiem, which means "afternoon" in Latin.

Thus, in English, denoting time, it is not necessary to say or write the word “o” clock after each digit. You can simply say “it is 5.” But to indicate that it is five o'clock in the evening, you need to clarify - it is 5 pm

National features of time designations

In America, the 24-hour time format is practically not used in everyday life, it is used for the most part by technicians, police, military and people in professions that require accuracy. This designation of time is called "military time" - military time.

In documents, Americans mark midnight as 11:59 p.m., and noon as 12:01 a.m., to avoid legal incidents and other inconsistencies.

Europeans are already accustomed to such a time calculation, but our native 24-hour format is closer to us, it eliminates confusion with “noon”. In the world, almost all watches of the mechanical type (with hands) are marked according to the English system, that is, the 24-hour format. Electronic can show time in two systems. So, in America, for example, clocks showing am and pm are quite common.

Learning from examples

The meaning of the abbreviations a.m./p.m. The best way to learn is with examples. So:

• 1 a.m. means 1 am;
• 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and so on, until 8 a.m. mean 2 am, 3 am and 8 am;
• time from 9 a.m. and until 11 a.m. considered "late morning" from 9 am to 11 am;
• 1 p.m. is 1 p.m., 2 p.m. - 2 p.m. and so on, until 6 p.m. (six in the evening) and until 11 p.m. (11 p.m);

In another way, it can be expressed as follows:

Examples with translation

• 03:17 a.m. m - Three seventeen in the morning (three seventeen in the morning).
• 04:40 p.m. — Four forty p.m. in the afternoon (four forty days).
• If the exact time is indicated, a specific hour without minutes, this hour is called + "o" clock.
• 10:00 - ten o'clock (ten hours).
• 09:00 - nine o'clock (nine hours).
• It is five fifteen AM. “It's five fifteen in the morning.
• It's seven thirty PM. - It's seven thirty in the evening.
• Examples of tenses in sentences
• This letter we must send out at 3 a.m. We have to send this letter at 3 o'clock in the morning.
• Roger Brown arrived in New Jersey at 7:44 A.M. Roger Brown arrived in New Jersey at 7:44 am.
• Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 8 am - 8 pm, Sundays 10 am - 7 pm. - Opening hours: Monday - Saturday from 8 am - 8 pm, Sundays from 10 am - 7 pm.
• Tomorrow I'll wake up at 7 am, no later. Tomorrow I will wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning, not earlier.
• Their flight to Boston would leave Glasgow at 7:10 a.m. Friday. Their flight to Boston will leave Glasgow at 7:10 am on Friday.
• Today I'm going to work up to 9 p.m. Today I am going to work until 9 pm.
• My wife usually wakes up at 5 a.m. My wife usually wakes up at 5 am.
• We estimate him here by 11:25 p.m. We assume that he will be here before 11.25 pm.
• Open today: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm. – Opening hours today: from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

AM and PM to 24 hour conversion table

24 hour format	12 hour format	In colloquial speech
00:00 (midnight)	12:00 a.m. (midnight)	twelve nights
01:00	1:00 a.m.	One hour of the night
02:00	2:00 a.m.	two nights
03:00	3:00 a.m.	three nights
04:00	4:00 a.m.	four nights
05:00	5:00 a.m.	five in the morning
06:00	6:00 a.m.	six in the morning
07:00	7:00 a.m.	Seven in the morning
08:00	8:00 a.m.	eight in the morning
09:00	9:00 a.m.	nine in the morning
10:00	10:00 a.m.	ten in the morning
11:00	11:00 a.m.	Eleven am
12:00 (noon)	12:00 p.m. (noon)	twelve days
13:00	1:00 p.m.	One o'clock
14:00	2:00 p.m.	Two days
15:00	3:00 p.m.	Three days
16:00	4:00 p.m.	Four days
17:00	5:00 p.m.	five days
18:00	6:00 p.m.	six pm
19:00	7:00 p.m.	seven o'clock
20:00	8:00 p.m.	eight o'clock
21:00	9:00 p.m. m	nine o'clock
22:00	10:00 p.m.	ten o'clock
23:00	11:00 p.m.	Eleven p.m.

Time is something we face every day. For example, when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I look at is the clock.

How often during the day do you ask the question: "What time is it?". How many times do you answer? I think more than once.

Therefore, it is very important to be able and know how to correctly ask the time and say in English: “What time is it?”.

• What do am and pm mean in English time and how to understand them?

How to ask the time in English?

There are some basic phrases you can use to ask what time it is in English. The simplest and most common:

What time is it?
What time is it?

What time is it now?
What time is it?

What is the time?
What time?

It is worth noting that you can ask such questions to friends, family members, colleagues and other acquaintances. When you address strangers, do not forget about polite forms. "Excuse me..."(sorry) - this is how you should start your question and / or add at the end please(please).

Excuse me, what time is it?
Excuse me, what time is it?

What's the time, please?
Could you tell me what time it is, please?

Excuse me, what time is it now, please?
Excuse me, can you tell me what time it is now?

These were the most common options for how to ask the time in English, so you can safely use them in life. There are several more ways.

Could you tell me the time, please?
Could you tell me the time please?

Do you know what time it is now?
Do you know what time it is?

Could you tell me the right time, please?
Could you tell me the exact time please?

Bonus! Do you want to learn how to speak English? in Moscow and learn how to start speaking English in 1 month using the ESL method!

How to say the time in English?

How do you say what time it is in English? Here you have to be careful. After all, English says time in a completely different way than in Russian.

The answer to the question about time is built like this:

What time is it?
It is two o'clock.
Two hours.

What time is it?
It is seven o'clock.
Seven o'clock.

What time is it?
It is four o'clock.
Four o'clock.

But how to understand what time of day is meant? For this we can use these words:

In the morning- in the morning;
In the afternoon- in the afternoon;
In the evening- in the evening;
At night- at night.

It is eight o'clock in the evening.
Eight o'clock in the evening.

It is three o'clock in the afternoon.
Three PM.

It is one o'clock at night.
The hour of the night.

To designate the time of day in English, the most commonly used designations are: AM and PM. I note that in official writing we use only these designations.

What do AM and PM mean in English time and how to understand them?

We are used to having 24 hours in a day. “It's 22:00 now,” we can answer in Russian, meaning that it's ten o'clock in the evening. The US, UK, and many other countries use the 12-hour time format. According to him, the day is divided into two halves of 12 hours: before noon (AM) and afternoon (PM).

This is not quite familiar to us, so most people have difficulties here. Now let's put everything on the shelves so that you can understand.

What does A stand forM?

AM(from Latin ante meridiem - until noon) - this interval starts at 12 o'clock at night (midnight) and ends at 12 o'clock in the afternoon (noon). That is, it lasts from 00:00 to 12:00.

This is how we tell the time using AM:

It's two AM.
Two o'clock at night. (2:00)

It's ten AM.
Ten in the morning. (10:00)

It's five AM.
Five am. (5:00)

Note that at the end of the sentence we already do not set o "clock. With AM and PM, you don't need to use it.

What does PM stand for?

PM(from the Latin post meridiem - after noon) - this interval begins at 12 o'clock in the afternoon (noon) and ends at 12 at night (midnight). That is, it lasts from 12:00 to 00:00.

This is how we tell the time using PM:

It's two PM
Two o'clock in the afternoon. (14:00)

It's ten PM
Ten p.m. (22:00)

It's five PM
Five pm. (17:00)

How to say minutes in English?

How to say time in English with minutes? After all, almost always we say both hours and minutes. Here are two ways:

1. We speak numbers.

This is the easiest and most understandable way. In this case, we call only 2 digits. The first digit stands for hours and the second for minutes.

It's eight twenty two.
Eight hours twenty-two minutes. (8:22)

It's one forty.
Hour forty. (13:40)

It's two sixteen.
Two hours sixteen minutes. (2:16)

2. We use the prepositions to and past.

In this case, we specify the hour and minutes. Since this method is more common, let's look at it in more detail.

past use

Past(after) is used to show how much minutes elapsed after any hour. For example, after 13:00, 19:00, 23:00, etc.

We use this preposition only when the minute the hand is in the right half of the clock, i.e. shows the minutes from 1 to 30.

Look at the examples and everything will become clear immediately. Pay attention to the translation!

It's thirty minutes past seven. (7:13)
thirteen minutes eighth.

It's twenty-five minutes past one. (1:25)
Twenty five minutes second.

It's ten minutes past nine. (9:10)
Ten minutes tenth.

How do we translate into Russian?

Russian logic is slightly different from English, and you should pay attention to this when translating. Let's look at an example.

Use to

To(before) is used to show how many minutes are left until some hour. For example, until 13:00, 19:00, 23:00, etc.

We use this preposition if the minute hand is in the left half, that is from 31 to 59 minutes.

For example, if we see 5:53 on the clock, then we say that there are 7 minutes left until 6 o'clock.

It's twelve to five . (4:48)
Twelve to five.

It's five minutes to nine . (8:55)
Five minutes to nine.

It's ten minutes to three. (2:50)
Ten minutes to three.

And this is how it is translated into Russian. Let's look at the Russian/English analogy.

How to say half of such and such an hour (30 minutes)?

In Russian we often say not Thirty minutes first, and floor first. We can say this in English using the word half (half). We can use this word only with the preposition past. By the way, pay attention to the translation! The British have a very simple logic - they just look at what the clock is showing now and call this particular hour.

It's half past five . (5:30)
Half past five. (literally: half after five.)

It's half past two . (2:30)
Half past two. (literally: half after two .)

It's half past six . (6:30)
Half past six. (literally: half after six .)

Why do we use past? Because “to”, that is, “before”, begins with 31 minutes, and 30 minutes enters the past zone. The British believe that 30 minutes is still closer to the hour that is coming. But from the 31st minute, everything changes ...

How to say a quarter of an hour (15 minutes)?

In English (as in Russian) we use the word quarter - quarter (15 minutes). Quarter we can use both with to, so with past.

If we're talking about the beginning of the hour(on the clock 15 minutes), then we use past. That is, we show that 15 minutes have passed since some hour.

It's quarter past three. (3:15)
Quarter past four. (literally: a quarter after three .)

It's quarter past seven. (7:15)
Quarter past seven. (literally: a quarter after seven .)

It's quarter past eleven . (11:15)
Quarter past twelve. (literally: a quarter after eleven .)

If we're talking about end of the hour(on the clock 45 minutes), then we use to .

In this case, we show that there are 15 minutes left until some hour. So 45 minutes have already passed.

It's quarter to three. (2:45)
A quarter to three. (literally: a quarter up to three.)

It's quarter to seven. (6:45)
A quarter to seven. (literally: a quarter up to seven.)

It's quarter to two. (1:45)
A quarter to two. (literally: a quarter up to two.)

What to do now? To easily call and say time, you need to develop a skill, that is, bring it to automatism. Now, when you see a clock, always think (or rather, pronounce it) how it will be in English. Start with the task below.

Reinforcement task

In the meantime, practice, translate into English:

What time is it now?

Excuse me, what time is it?

It is now 5 minutes past seven (It is now 5 minutes after 6).

It's 15 minutes past two.

It's now 10 minutes to eight in the morning.

It's now 20 minutes into the fifth day.

It's half past three now.

Write your answers in the comments, and after 3 days I will post the correct options, and you can check yourself.

There are more than 200 countries in the modern world, and each country has its own customs and traditions that shape the way of life of people and their habits. Trifles in culture, it would seem, should not affect the understanding of a person at all, but this is not so. We do not notice insignificant things, although they are fraught with many interesting and unusual things. Such trifles include differences in time formats.

In this article, we will figure out what time formats exist, what is their difference? Why is it not possible to introduce common time in the world? How to understand the designations of different formats? What is the definition of time in English?

Time formats

We live in a country where 24 hours of the day are used to indicate time. This format is called 24-hour. But there are also countries that use only 12 hours a day. On the dial, only 12 hours are used.

What's also interesting is that most people who live by the 24-hour clock tend to use only 12 hours more often. For example, we do not say “I will be at 19”, but “I will be at 7” or “I will be at 7 pm”.

Where did the two formats come from? It is clear that 24 hours is the length of a day. But why 12 hours and not 4 or 6? The format, when the day is divided into two parts of 12 hours, came from the Ancient World. In Mesopotamia, Rome and Ancient Egypt, a sundial was used during the day and a water clock at night. Some countries did not change the knowledge gained by their ancestors, but left the 12-hour format.

As for the USA, 2 formats are appropriate there. The most commonly used is 12 hours, but if you say, for example, "20 hours", then you will probably not be understood, since 24 hours is a military format.

Time notation in English

Which countries use 12 and 24 hour format? In English-speaking countries, the 12-hour format is most often used, so abbreviations were originally invented. The designation of time in English is pm (from the Latin Post meridiem - "after noon") and am (from the Latin Ante meridiem - "before noon"). And if the Americans somehow understand you, then another English-speaking world will prove that there is no more than 12 hours. A.m. consumed from 12 noon to 12 noon, and for p.m. it's the other way around. For example, if you want to say 15:00, it would be 3pm and 1am would be 1am. The designation of time in English is just that.

It is rather difficult to memorize these designations without constant repetition. Do you want to know how easy and simple it is to save them in memory? All you have to do is set your phone, tablet or computer (whichever you use most) to twelve hour clock. It usually takes a couple of days to get used to it. Most people who have switched to the 12-hour-a-day format use it that way.

And what about the indication of time in English on the clock? Like ours, the dial also has 12 hours. But there is a difference in electronic media. All electrical devices use twelve hours, but we have 24.

Which countries use 12 and 24 hour format?

As mentioned above, the world is conditionally divided into countries that use twenty-four hours to indicate time, and countries where the 12-hour format is used.

Countries with a 24-hour format include most of the world, for example, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Japan. In Australia, New Zealand and the United States (that is, in countries where the time designation is in English) 12 hours are used in a day. This is proven by the fact that English speakers are not comfortable saying, say, "16 o'clock".

There are also countries where both options are acceptable. These are Greece, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Albania and Turkey.

But what about Canada? As you know, Canada has two official languages ​​- English and French. The country is divided according to the linguistic criterion into areas - provinces where they speak French, and territories with a predominant English language. All of Canada uses the 12-hour format because it was a British colony for a long time, but in the province of Quebec, people are more likely to use the 24-hour format.

Conclusion

So, we figured out that there are two time formats - 12 and 24-hour. Often in English they use 12 hours, for which special abbreviations were invented. The designation of time in English occurs with the help of four letters - am (before noon) and pm (after noon). To better remember where, what and when to use, you need to set the twelve-hour time format on your phone, tablet or computer. If you want to go to a country where this format is used, for example, to the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, you should prepare in advance to avoid misunderstandings.

You can ask the time in English in various ways:

• What's the time?
• What time is it?
• What time is it now?
• Do you know what time it is?
• Could you tell me the time, please?
• Have you got the time, please?

All 6 options are almost identical, the differences lie only in the formality of communication. If you are asking a stranger for the time and are trying to be tactful, then use the polite form with "could".

Typical English notation for periods of time

We all know four periods of time: morning, afternoon, evening and night. In English, to indicate one of these periods, the prepositions "in" and "at" are used:

• in the morning - in the morning;
• in the afternoon - in the afternoon;
• in the evening - in the evening;
• in the / at night - at night.

The British and Americans used to divide the day into 12 hours or into the first and second half of the day. On alarm clocks or watches, you can often find the corresponding abbreviations:

• a.m. (lat. ante meridiem) - until noon.
• p.m. (Latin post meridiem) - after noon.

In other words, from 00:00 to 12:00 is a.m., and from 12:00 to 00:00 is p.m.

3 ways to tell the exact time in English

You can tell the time in three ways: the first will immediately give you a foreigner, the second - a European, and the third - a military man.

1. We pronounce hours and minutes as they are

You can pronounce the numerals as they are, and a foreigner will understand you without difficulty. However, such a phrase will sound very dry.

• 6:25 - It "s six twenty-five (six twenty-five).
• 8:05 - It "s eight O-five (eight zero five). No "zero"; zero in English sounds like [əu].
• 9:11 - It "s nine eleven (nine eleven).
• 2:34 - It's two thirty-four (two thirty-four).

2. Break the hour into a whole, a quarter and a half

O'clock

In order to indicate whole hours, the phrase o "clock is used. No minutes are indicated from o'clock.

• 10:00 - It's ten o'clock.
• 5:00 - It's five o'clock.
• 1:00 - It "s one o" clock.

Past and To

The following prepositions and particle are used to indicate minutes: "past", "after", "of" and "to". Moreover, the word minutes is generally omitted. The prepositions "past / after / of" are used to indicate a part of the hour from one to 30 minutes and are translated as "after":

It's 10 minutes past / after / of 4 - 10 minutes after four or 10 minutes past five.

The particle "to" denotes a time from 31 to 59 minutes. In Russian, we translate it with the preposition "without" or "before":

It "s 20 minutes to 8 - 20 minutes to eight or twenty minutes to eight.

Quarter and Half

For quarters and halves, the English reserved two words: "quarter" and "half". The first can be used with both "past" and "after", but the second - only with "after".

• It "s a quarter after one - a quarter after an hour, fifteen hours.
• It "s a quarter to four - a quarter to four, fifteen minutes to 4.
• It "s half past six - half after six, half past six.

12:00

Noon or midnight are indicated by the following options:

• twelve o "clock (both one and the other);
• midday = noon (noon);
• midnight (midnight).

The exact preposition at

The preposition at is used when we want to associate a specific time with a specific event or object.

• The bus arrives at midday (12:00). The bus arrives at noon.
• The flight leaves at a quarter to two (1:45). The plane takes off at one forty-five.
• The concert begins at ten o "clock. (10:00). The concert starts at ten o'clock.

3. We tell the time like the military

The US military uses the 24 hour military time format or "military time". Calculation occurs in hundreds and tens.

• 23:00 - twenty three o'hundred;
• 15:00 - fifteen hundred hours;
• 17:50 - seventeen o'fifty.

“You need to report to the office at fifteen hundred hours today. After that you can leave at seventeen o'fifty.”
“You need to be at the office at 3:00 pm. At 17:50 you can be free."

Time notation table in hours and minutes

For better memorization and consolidation of the material, I will give a detailed table with numerical examples of time designation.