Telling the Time — O’clock and Half Past | English for Kids A1
Promise
After this lesson your child can tell the time with “o’clock” and “half past”.
Audience: Parents and teachers of young children in Réunion (French first language), plain English A2–B1. Context: a short English lesson at home or in class.
Time to read: 5 minutes · Format: web page
Before you start
You will be able to: ask “What time is it?” and answer for full hours and half hours.
Three words you need first:
- o’clock — an exact hour: three o’clock is 3:00.
- half past — thirty minutes after the hour: half past three is 3:30.
- daily routine — things you do every day, like waking up.
You need: a clock or a paper clock with hands.
My lesson (the original, unchanged)
What time is it?
- 3:00 → “It’s three o’clock.”
- 3:30 → “It’s half past three.”
Ask and answer
“What time is it?” → “It’s ___.”
Practice
- 7:00 → It’s seven o’clock.
- 9:30 → It’s half past nine.
- 12:00 → It’s twelve o’clock.
In real life
What time do you wake up? Go to school? Eat dinner?
Lecture notes
Segment 1 — O’clock
For a full hour say the number and “o’clock”: 7:00 is “It’s seven o’clock.” Always start with “It’s”.
Visual 1 — Clock
What it shows: three o’clock.
How to draw it: Draw a clock: long hand on 12, short hand on 3.
The point it makes obvious: Long hand on 12 means o’clock.
12
9 | 3
+--->
6
It's three o'clock.
EXAMPLE (child in Réunion): “It’s twelve o’clock. Time for lunch!”
Check 1: Say 9:00.
Show the answer
Next: half past.
Segment 2 — Half past
When the long hand is on 6, it is half past: 3:30 is “It’s half past three.” French says “trois heures et demie”; English puts “half past” first, then the hour.
Visual 2 — Two languages
What it shows: 3:30.
How to draw it: Write the English and the French one under the other.
The point it makes obvious: The order is different.
English: It's half past three. French: Il est trois heures et demie.
EXAMPLE (child in Réunion): “It’s half past nine.” (9:30)
Check 2: Say 7:30.
Show the answer
Worked example — the “In real life” questions
The task: “What time do you wake up?”
| Step | What happens | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The child thinks of a real time, for example 7:00. | A real time. |
| 2 | Choose: o’clock. | Long hand on 12. |
| 3 | Say: “I wake up at seven o’clock.” | Use “at” with a time. |
Self-explanation prompt: Why “at”? In English we say “at seven o’clock” for a time.
Your turn (guided): Try: dinner at 7:30. (Answer: “I eat dinner at half past seven.”)
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| “It’s three hours.” | French “il est trois heures”. | “It’s three o’clock.” |
| “It’s three and half.” | French “et demie”. | “It’s half past three.” |
| “Half past three” for 2:30 | Thinking of “half to three”. | Half past three is 3:30. |
Glossary
| Term | Plain definition | Where first used |
|---|---|---|
| o’clock | an exact hour | Before you start |
| half past | 30 minutes after the hour | Before you start |
| daily routine | things you do every day | Before you start |
| at | the word before a time | Worked example |
Quick review
- What is 3:00?
- What is 3:30?
- What is the question?
- Correct: “It’s three hours.”
- Where is the long hand at half past?
Show all five answers
2) “It’s half past three.”
3) “What time is it?”
4) “It’s three o’clock.”
5) On the 6.
Fact check, 29 October 2026
All the times and answers in my lesson are correct. Note for older children: in German “halb drei” means 2:30, but in English “half past three” is always 3:30. No other facts needed checking.
Status: rewritten in lecture-notes style on 29 October 2026. Not tested with readers.