How to tell the time?

To tell the time in English, you generally follow these rules:

• Use "o'clock" when the minutes are zero. For example, "It's six o'clock."

• Use "past" when the minutes are between 1 and 30. For example, "It's ten past three" means it is 3:10.

• Use "to" when the minutes are between 31 and 59. For example, "It's twenty to five" means it is 4:40.

• Use "quarter" for 15 minutes past the hour. For example, "It's a quarter past nine" means it is 9:15.

• Use "half" for 30 minutes past the hour. For example, "It's half past twelve" means it is 12:30.

• Use "a.m." for times in the morning (from midnight until noon) and "p.m." for times in the afternoon and evening (from noon until midnight).

Here are some more examples:

• 2:00 - It's two o'clock.
• 5:15 - It's a quarter past five.
• 8:30 - It's half past eight.
• 10:45 - It's fifteen minutes to eleven. / It's a quarter to eleven.
• 1:20 - It's twenty past one.
• 6:55 - It's five minutes to seven.

By following these rules and examples, you can effectively communicate the time in English.