Telling the time and durations

For grown-ups: this lesson in words

Years 3 to 6 · Maths

Telling the time and durations: I can tell the time on any clock and work out how long things take.

1. A clock has two hands. The short hand shows the hour. It is between 2 and 3, so the hour is 2.

   The long hand counts the minutes. Each number it passes is 5 minutes.

   It points to 8. Count in fives: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40. That is 40 minutes past.

   40 minutes past 2 is written 2:40.

   Picture: A clock with minutes marked round the edge: the long hand points to 8 (the 40-minute mark) and the short hand is between 2 and 3. The digital time shows 2:40.

2. Your turn: What time does this clock show?

   Picture: A clock: the long hand points to 12 and the short hand points to 8.

   Choose one:

   • 12 o'clock
   • 8 o'clock
   • half past 8

   Answer

   The answer: 8 o'clock

   The short hand points to 8 and the long hand to 12. It is 8 o'clock, written 8:00.

   Picture: A clock: the long hand points to 12 and the short hand points to 8. The digital time shows 8:00.

3. Some clocks show the numbers as Roman numerals.

   The long hand points to VI, which is 6. That is 30 minutes past: half past.

   IV is 4 and V is 5. The short hand is between them, so the hour is 4.

   Half past 4 is written 4:30.

   Picture: A clock with Roman numerals: the long hand points to VI and the short hand is between IV and V. The digital time shows 4:30.

Words to know

analogue clock:

A clock with two hands that point to the numbers.

digital clock:

A clock that shows the time in numbers, like 2:40.

am and pm:

am means before midday. pm means after midday.

24-hour clock:

Counts the hours right through the day, so 3 pm is 15:00.

duration:

How long something takes, from its start to its finish.

leap year:

A year with 366 days. February gets 29 days.