CILT2: Time and Timetables

Time and Timetables

Vocabulary

clock = a device for measuring and showing time, which is usually found in or on a building and is not worn by a person.

minute = any of the 60 parts which an hour is divided into, consisting of 60 seconds.

hour = a period of 60 minutes.

quarter = one of four equal or almost equal parts of something; ¼

midday = 12 o'clock in the middle of the day.

a.m. (ante meridiem) = used when referring to a time between twelve o'clock at night and twelve o'clock in the middle of the day.

p.m. (post meridiem) = used when referring to a time in the afternoon or evening or at night.

          Structure

Subordinating Conjunctions

A Subordinating Conjunction (sometimes called a dependent word or subordinator) comes at the beginning of a subordinate (or dependent) clause and establishes the relationship between the dependent clause and the rest of the sentence. It also turns the clause into something that depends on the rest of the sentence for its meaning. Notice that some of the subordinating conjunctions in the table below — after, before, since — are also prepositions, but as subordinators they are being used to introduce a clause and to subordinate the following clause to the independent element in the sentence.

Common Subordinating Conjunctions
after although as as if as long as as though because before even if even though	if if only in order that now that once rather than since so that than that	though till unless until when whenever where whereas wherever while

Example:       

The clock face doesn’t tell us if it is before or after midday.

When we reach an hour after the middle of the day, we start counting again at 1.

Time and Timetables

When we write down or say the time we use many ways.

If it is exactly on the hour we say o’clock (of the clock).

Sometimes we say that part of an hour or how many minutes have passed since the last hour, how long before the next hour.

We could say or record this clock’s time as:

quarter to 8, 15 minutes to 8, or 7.45.

This is a 12-hour clock. When we reach an hour after the middle of the day, we start counting again at 1. The clock face doesn’t tell us if it is before or after midday. We use a.m. if it’s before midday and p.m. for after midday.

An easier, neater way to record the time is the 24-hour clock. We carry on counting the hours so that 1.00 p.m. becomes 13:00,2 p.m. becomes 14:00 and so on. To keep it simple, use two digits for the hour and two for the minutes past, separated by a colon like this: 07:45

Task 1

1.      Direction: Change these times to 24-hour clock times.

          If the time is p.m. in the 12-hour clock we add 12 to the hours. 7.15 p.m. = 19:15.

(a)     9 o’clock a.m. ______________________

(b)    7.15 p.m. ______________________

(c)     half past 3 p.m. ______________________

(d)    quarter past 7 a.m. ______________________

(e)    20 past 5 p.m. ______________________

(f)      quarter to 8 p.m. ______________________

(g)     12 noon  ______________________

(h)    10:30 a.m. ______________________

(i)       9:30 a.m. ______________________

(j)       5 to 11 p.m. ______________________

(k)     20 to 5 a.m. ______________________

(l)      25 past 6 p.m. ______________________

(m)  10 to 7 a.m. ______________________

(n)    10 past 7 a.m. ______________________

(o)    9.45 p.m. ______________________

(p)    1 minute to midnight  ______________________

(q)    1 minute past midnight  ______________________

(r)      quarter to 1 a.m. ______________________

(s)      past 1 p.m. ______________________

(t)      1 minute past 8 p.m. ______________________

2.      Here is a train timetable using 24-hour clock times. Fill in the 12-hour clock times.

depart	09:35	11:05	13:45	15:20	18.55
arrive	10:53	12:23	15:03	16:38	20:15

depart
arrive

Challenge

Think about the times of the day that are important to you (when you get up, eat, do things, etc.). Write down these events and times using both 12- and 24-hour clocks. 

Example: I get up at 6 o’clock a.m. (12-hour clock)

               I get up at 06:00 (24-hour clock)

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