What time is it? (A1 Vocabulary)

For a time on the hour, say It's + the number + o'clock.

o'clock = right on the hour

It's seven o'clock. (7:00)
It's three o'clock. (3:00)
The class starts at nine o'clock. (9:00)
Try it: Maya: What time is it? Ethan: The clock is at 8:00. ___ eight o'clock. Finish Ethan's answer. (It's / It has / There is) Answer: It's — To say the time, start with It's: It's eight o'clock. "It has" and "There is" are not how we say a time.

For the minutes, just say the two numbers on the clock. It's + the hour + -thirty for :30.

It's seven-thirty. (7:30)
It's nine-thirty. (9:30)
The class starts at six-thirty. (6:30)
Not "It's thirty-seven. (for 7:30)" — say "It's seven-thirty. (7:30)". Say the hour first, then the minutes: seven-thirty, not thirty-seven.
Try it: Ethan: Is the class over? Maya: Not yet. The clock is at 4:30. It's ___. Finish Maya's answer. (four-thirty / thirty-four / four-thirteen) Answer: four-thirty — The hour comes first and the minutes come second, so 4:30 is four-thirty. "Thirty-four" puts them the wrong way round, and "four-thirteen" is 4:13.

The same pattern works for :15 too. It's + the hour + -fifteen for :15.

It's seven-fifteen. (7:15)
It's two-fifteen. (2:15)
The bus leaves at ten-fifteen. (10:15)
Try it: Maya: Is the desk open? Ethan: Yes. The clock is at 8:15. It's ___. Finish Ethan's answer. (eight-fifteen / fifteen-eight / eight-fifty) Answer: eight-fifteen — The hour is eight and the minutes are fifteen, so 8:15 is eight-fifteen. "Eight-fifty" is 8:50.

Fifteen minutes is a quarter of an hour. Say a quarter after for :15 and a quarter to the next hour for :45.

It's a quarter after seven. (7:15)
It's a quarter to eight. (7:45)
It's a quarter to three. (2:45)
Not "It's a quarter to seven. (for 7:45)" — say "It's a quarter to eight. (7:45)". A quarter to counts the minutes that are still missing, so it names the next hour: 7:45 is a quarter to eight.
Try it: Ethan: Are we late for the six o'clock class? Maya: No, not yet. The clock is at 5:45. It's a quarter ___ six. Finish Maya's answer. (to / after / at) Answer: to — 5:45 has not reached six yet, so it is a quarter to six. "After" is for a time that has already left the hour, and "at" goes before a time, not between "a quarter" and the hour.

Two times of day have their own names. Noon is 12:00 in the middle of the day, and midnight is 12:00 in the middle of the night.

We eat at noon. (12:00)
The store closes at midnight. (12:00)
It's almost noon.
Try it: Ethan: The sun is high and everyone is hungry. The clock is at 12:00. Maya: Then it is ___. Time to eat. Finish Maya's answer. (noon / midnight / o'clock) Answer: noon — The sun is up, so this 12:00 is the one in the middle of the day, and that one is noon. Midnight is the 12:00 at night.

To ask the time, say What time is it? You can also ask What's the time?

What time is it? It's four-thirty.
What's the time? It's a quarter after six.
Excuse me, what time is it?
Try it: Ethan: ___ Maya: It's eight-thirty. Choose Ethan's question. (What time is it? / How time is it? / What is time?) Answer: What time is it? — Maya answers with a clock time, so Ethan asked What time is it? "How time is it" uses the wrong question word, and "What is time" asks about the idea of time, not the clock.
Try it: Maya: Is the center open yet? Ethan: The doors are open now. The clock is at 9:00, so it's nine ___. Finish Ethan's answer. (o'clock / thirty / fifteen) Answer: o'clock — The minutes are zero, so 9:00 is nine o'clock. "Nine-thirty" is 9:30 and "nine-fifteen" is 9:15.

Incorrect	Correct	Why
It's thirty-seven. (for 7:30)	It's seven-thirty. (7:30)	Say the hour first, then the minutes: seven-thirty, not thirty-seven.
It's a quarter to seven. (for 7:45)	It's a quarter to eight. (7:45)	A quarter to counts the minutes that are still missing, so it names the next hour: 7:45 is a quarter to eight.