Learning Objectives
Let Us Begin!

Every day you wake up, go to school, eat lunch, and go to bed. All these happen at different times.

We use a clock to know what time it is. A clock has two important hands:

The short hand is the hour hand. It shows the hour.

The long hand is the minute hand. It shows the minutes.

A clock has numbers from 1 to 12 written on its face.

Understanding Time

O'Clock

When the minute hand points to 12 and the hour hand points to a number, we say it is "___ o'clock".

If the hour hand is on 7 and the minute hand is on 12, the time is 7 o'clock.

Half Past

When the minute hand points to 6, it has gone halfway around the clock. We say it is "half past ___".

If the hour hand is between 3 and 4, and the minute hand is on 6, the time is half past 3 (or 3:30).

Think about it: Your school starts at 8 o'clock in the morning. Where will the hour hand and minute hand be on the clock?

a.m. and p.m.

a.m. means the time from midnight (12:00 at night) to noon (12:00 in the afternoon).

p.m. means the time from noon (12:00 in the afternoon) to midnight (12:00 at night).

You go to school at 8:00 a.m. You eat dinner at 8:00 p.m. Same number, different time of day!

Important Time Facts

Days of the Week

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. There are 7 days in a week.

Months of the Year

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. There are 12 months in a year.

Key Words and Meanings
WordMeaning
Hour handThe short hand on a clock that shows the hour
Minute handThe long hand on a clock that shows the minutes
O'clockWhen the minute hand is on 12 (exact hour)
Half pastWhen the minute hand is on 6 (30 minutes past the hour)
a.m.Time from midnight to noon (morning hours)
p.m.Time from noon to midnight (afternoon and night hours)
Examples
Example 1: Reading O'Clock

The hour hand is on 9 and the minute hand is on 12. What time is it?

The time is 9 o'clock.

Example 2: Reading Half Past

The hour hand is between 4 and 5. The minute hand is on 6. What time is it?

The time is half past 4 (or 4:30).

Example 3: a.m. or p.m.?

Anita eats breakfast at 7:30 in the morning. Is this a.m. or p.m.?

Morning time is a.m., so it is 7:30 a.m.

Key Points to Remember
Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks

  1. The short hand on a clock is called the .
  2. 1 hour = minutes.
  3. When the minute hand is on 12, we say it is .
  4. There are days in a week.
  5. The month that comes after March is .

B. Multiple Choice Questions

  1. If the hour hand is on 5 and the minute hand is on 12, the time is:
    (a) 12:05(b) 5 o'clock(c) Half past 5(d) 5:06
  2. You eat lunch at 1:00 in the afternoon. This is:
    (a) 1:00 a.m.(b) 1:00 p.m.(c) 12:00 p.m.(d) 1:00 noon
  3. How many months are there in a year?
    (a) 7(b) 10(c) 12(d) 30

C. Write a.m. or p.m.

  1. Going to school at 7:45 in the morning:
  2. Eating dinner at 8:00 at night:
  3. Playing in the park at 4:30 in the evening:

D. Short Answer

  1. Write the 7 days of the week in order.
  2. What time do you wake up every morning? Write it with a.m. or p.m.
Think and Do -- Fun Activity

My Day Clock: Write the time you do each activity. Use a.m. or p.m.

1. Wake up: _______________

2. Reach school: _______________

3. Eat lunch: _______________

4. Come home from school: _______________

5. Go to bed: _______________

Which activity do you do first? Which do you do last?