English · A1 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Telling time
Ask and answer clock time, event time, and duration.
Understand the choice
Clock time and duration use different nouns and prepositions. At three schedules an event; for three hours measures a span.
Core rule: Use at for an event time; past/to describe minutes around the hour; duration uses for.
Notice it in context
It is quarter past three, and the lesson starts at half past three.
Son las tres y cuarto y la lección empieza a las tres y media.
Quarter past three is 3:15; at half past three schedules 3:30.
The train leaves at eight o’clock on time.
The train departs exactly at 8:00 without delay.
At marks clock time; o’clock and on time clarify it.
We wait for one hour and ten minutes.
Our waiting lasts 70 minutes.
For introduces duration; hour and minutes are units.
What to remember
- US speech often says three fifteen/three thirty.
- Noon and midnight usually need no o’clock.
Common trap: Do not use in three o’clock for a schedule.