Welcome to your A1 English vocabulary lesson on times! Learning about time in English is super important for everyday life. If you want to make plans, talk about your day, or understand schedules, knowing these words is key. This lesson will help you learn basic English vocabulary for times and practice using them. Let’s get started and improve your spoken English!

Why Learn About Times in English?

Imagine you want to meet a friend for coffee, or you need to know when your English class starts. Understanding time vocabulary allows you to:

• Make appointments: “Let’s meet at half past two.”
• Talk about your daily routine: “I wake up at seven o’clock in the morning.”
• Understand schedules: “The bus arrives at quarter to eight.”
• Tell someone the time: “Excuse me, what time is it? – It’s ten past five.”

Learning about times is a fundamental part of English for beginners and will make your communication much clearer and easier. It’s also great for your spoken English practice!

Basic English Words for Time

Let’s learn some essential time vocabulary for beginners. These are words you’ll use every day!

Parts of the Day

• Morning: The early part of the day, from sunrise to noon. Example: I drink coffee in the morning.
• Afternoon: The part of the day between noon and evening. Example: We eat lunch in the afternoon.
• Evening: The part of the day from sunset to night. Example: I watch TV in the evening.
• Night: The time from sunset to sunrise when it is dark. Example: I sleep at night.

Clock Times

• O’clock: Used for times on the hour. Example: It’s three o’clock.
• Half past: 30 minutes after the hour. Example: It’s half past six (6:30).
• Quarter past: 15 minutes after the hour. Example: It’s quarter past ten (10:15).
• Quarter to: 15 minutes before the next hour. Example: It’s quarter to nine (8:45).
• Past: Used for minutes after the hour, up to 30 minutes. Example: It’s ten past two (2:10).
• To: Used for minutes before the hour, from 31 to 59 minutes. Example: It’s twenty to seven (6:40).

Other Useful Time Words

• Hour: 60 minutes. Example: I study English for one hour every day.
• Minute: 60 seconds. Example: Wait for me for five minutes.
• Second: A very short amount of time. Example: Just a second, please.
• Day: 24 hours. Example: There are seven days in a week.
• Week: Seven days. Example: I go swimming once a week.
• Month: About 30 days. Example: My birthday is in the month of July.
• Year: 12 months. Example: We celebrate New Year in January.
• Today: This day. Example: Today is Monday.
• Yesterday: The day before today. Example: Yesterday was Sunday.
• Tomorrow: The day after today. Example: Tomorrow will be Tuesday.
• Now: At this moment. Example: I am learning English now.
• Later: After some time. Example: I will call you later.
• Early: Before the usual time. Example: I wake up early in the morning.
• Late: After the usual time. Example: Don’t be late for class!

How to Ask and Tell Time in English

Asking for the Time

To ask someone for the time, you can say:

• “Excuse me, what time is it?”
• “What’s the time, please?”
• “Do you have the time?”

Telling the Time

Here’s how to tell the time in English. We usually say the minutes first, then ‘past’ or ‘to’ the hour, or just ‘o’clock’ for times on the hour.

1. On the hour: It’s + [hour] + o’clock. Example: It’s 7 o’clock.
2. Minutes past the hour (1-30 minutes): It’s + [minutes] + past + [hour]. Example: It’s five past eight (8:05). It’s twenty past ten (10:20). It’s half past three (3:30).
3. Minutes to the hour (31-59 minutes): It’s + [minutes to next hour] + to + [next hour]. Example: It’s twenty to nine (8:40 – 20 minutes until 9 o’clock). It’s quarter to six (5:45 – 15 minutes until 6 o’clock). It’s ten to eleven (10:50 – 10 minutes until 11 o’clock).
4. Quarter past and half past: We often use ‘quarter past’ for 15 minutes past and ‘half past’ for 30 minutes past. Example: It’s quarter past four (4:15). It’s half past twelve (12:30).

Remember, practice makes perfect! The more you use these phrases, the easier it will become to tell time in English. This is great practice for your English pronunciation tips too – say these phrases out loud!

Let’s Practice!

Fill in the blanks with the correct time words:

1. It’s 9:00. It’s nine _______ .
2. It’s 3:30. It’s _______ past three.
3. It’s 6:15. It’s _______ past six.
4. It’s 11:45. It’s _______ to twelve.
5. It’s 7:10. It’s ten _______ seven.
6. It’s 2:50. It’s ten _______ three.
7. The sun rises in the _______.
8. I go to bed at _______.
9. _______ is the day after today.
10. _______ was the day before today.

Answers to Practice

1. It’s 9:00. It’s nine o’clock.
2. It’s 3:30. It’s half past three.
3. It’s 6:15. It’s quarter past six.
4. It’s 11:45. It’s quarter to twelve.
5. It’s 7:10. It’s ten past seven.
6. It’s 2:50. It’s ten to three.
7. The sun rises in the morning.
8. I go to bed at night.
9. Tomorrow is the day after today.
10. Yesterday was the day before today.

Practice Speaking Time with Lingofrnd

Want to practice using time vocabulary and improve your spoken English even more? Try Lingofrnd.com! Lingofrnd is your AI spoken English teacher. You can practice telling time, asking about schedules, and much more. It’s a fun and easy way to build your confidence in speaking English.

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Keep practicing your English vocabulary times, and you’ll be telling time like a pro in no time!