12. Telling Time

English Explanations
1. You can ask about the time with these two expressions. What time is it? is less formal than Do you have the time?
2. In the U.S., time is generally measured using a 12-hour clock instead of a 24-hour clock. Use a.m. to talk about the first 12 hours of the day and p.m. to talk about the last 12 hours of the day.
3. To tell someone the time, start with it's and then say the time. There are three common ways to say the time at the beginning of an hour, such as 3:00 or 8:00: 1) Say the number of the hour. 2) Say the number of the hour plus o'clock. 3) Say the number of the hour plus a.m. or p.m.
4. For any time other than the beginning of an hour, say it's + the hour and the minutes. When the minutes are less than 10, say oh instead of zero and then the number.
5. There are special expressions for saying times that are 15, 30, and 45 minutes after the beginning of an hour.

Expressions TELLING TIME
What time is it? Do you have the time? a.m. p.m. five five o'clock five a.m./p.m. a quarter after half past a quarter to