That´s the way:
Do you know the time in English?
Hi, there are two common ways of telling the time. Let’s begin by the formal but easier way. You can say the hours first and then the minutes.
* 8:45 – eight forty-five
For minutes 01 through 09, you can pronounce the ‘0′ as oh.
* 10:09 – ten (oh) nine
Now let’s see the more popular way (I have a question: the more popular or the most popular way ?)
Say the minutes first and then the hours. Use past and the preceding hour for minutes 01 through 30.
Use to and the forthcoming (próximo) hour for minutes 31 through 59, but:
* 6:15 - fifteen minutes past six or 6:15 fifteen minutes to seven
Outras possibilidades of saying ‘15 minutes past’ is: a quarter past/ a quarter to
Another possibility of saying ‘30 minutes past’ is: half past
* 5:30 - half past five
Note: Use o’clock only at the full hour.
See: 7:00 - seven o’clock (but 7:10 - ten past seven)
For times around midnight or midday you can use the expressions midnight or midday / noon instead of the number 12.
To make clear (where necessary) whether you mean a time before 12 o’clock noon or after, you can use in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night. Use in the morning before 12 o’clock noon, after 12 o’clock noon use in the afternoon. When to change from afternoon to evening, from evening to night and from night to morning depends on your sense of time.
* 3:15 - a quarter past three in the morning OR a quarter past three at night
Uma outra forma para indicar se é antes do meio dia ou após o meio dia é : a.m - ante meridiem, before noon) and p.m. (also: pm - post meridiem, after noon). But use these expression only with the formal way of telling the time.
* 3:15 - three fifteen a.m.
It is not usual to use a.m. and p.m. with past/to.
* 3:15 - fifteen minutes past three or a quarter past three
By the way, it’s time to go now. I’ll see you next week.
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Vanda Franco Professora de Língua Inglesa do Instituto Monitor |