LIFE002 · Telling the Time: Words That Matter on a Night Shift

🕐 Telling the Time

Level: A1  |  Time: 5 min  |  Focus: Numbers + Time expressions

📖 From Sourov’s world: At the casino, time is everything. My shift started at 6 pm and ended at 2 am. In those eight hours I learned that “quarter past”, “half past” and “midnight” are words that really matter when you are tired and watching the clock.

🔑 Key Language

3:00 — It’s three o’clock
3:15 — quarter past three
3:30 — half past three
3:45 — quarter to four
12:00 — midday / midnight
? — What time is it?

💡 Grammar Note: am vs pm

am = midnight → midday    pm = midday → midnight
“My shift starts at 6 pm.” = six in the evening
“I finish at 2 am.” = two in the morning — very late!

✏️ Quick Activity — Match the clock

Write the time in words:

  1. 8:00 → _______________
  2. 9:15 → _______________
  3. 10:30 → _______________
  4. 11:45 → _______________
👀 Show Answers

1. eight o’clock   2. quarter past nine   3. half past ten   4. quarter to twelve

⭐ Takeaway: “past” goes up to the half-hour; “to” counts down to the next hour. Once that clicks, clocks make sense in English.

Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.


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