Basic Time Telling
* Hour and minutes: "It's [hour] o'clock" (e.g., "It's five o'clock.")
* Past the hour: "It's [minutes] past [hour]" (e.g., "It's ten past three.")
* Before the hour: "It's [minutes] to [hour]" (e.g., "It's five to twelve.")
* Quarter past/to: "It's a quarter past [hour]" or "It's a quarter to [hour]" (e.g., "It's a quarter past nine," "It's a quarter to four.")
* Half past: "It's half past [hour]" (e.g., "It's half past seven.")
Examples
* "It's 3:15." (You can say this directly)
* "It's fifteen past three."
* "It's 3:45." (You can say this directly)
* "It's a quarter to four."
* "It's 6:30." (You can say this directly)
* "It's half past six."
Using AM and PM
* AM: Used for times between midnight and noon.
* PM: Used for times between noon and midnight.
* Examples:
* "The meeting is at 10:00 AM."
* "The movie starts at 7:30 PM."
Formal and Informal Styles
* Formal: "The appointment is scheduled for two fifteen PM."
* Informal: "Let's meet at two fifteen."
Specific Times
* Noon: "It's noon."
* Midnight: "It's midnight."
Asking for the Time
* "What time is it?"
* "Do you have the time?"
* "Could you tell me what time it is?"
Additional Notes
* Using "o'clock" is optional for whole hours: You can say "It's five o'clock" or "It's five."
* Twelve o'clock: Use "noon" for 12:00 AM and "midnight" for 12:00 PM to avoid confusion.
* British English: British English often uses "past" and "to" for both "past" and "before" the hour. For example, "It's five past three" and "It's five to twelve".
Let me know if you'd like more examples or have any other questions about telling time!