Year 1: Whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns
Part of the Year 1 position and direction chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Whole, half, quarter and three-quarter turns
A turn is when something goes round. Use a clock face to help you. The arrow starts on 12.
A quarter turn moves the arrow a quarter of the way round, to 3. A half turn is half way round, to 6. A three-quarter turn is three quarters of the way round, to 9. A whole turn goes all the way round, back to 12.
Key ideas
- A whole turn goes all the way round and ends where it started.
- A half turn is 2 quarter turns.
- A three-quarter turn is 3 quarter turns.
- Four quarter turns make a whole turn.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 9
- Turn it clockwise, a quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.9 → 12
- Write the number the arrow points to. 12
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 9. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a half turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 3
- Turn it clockwise, a half turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.3 → 6 → 9
- Write the number the arrow points to. 9
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 3. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a half turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 6
- Turn it clockwise, a half turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.6 → 9 → 12
- Write the number the arrow points to. 12
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 6. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Watch out
Watch out: a quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock, for example from 12 to 3. Only a half turn takes the arrow to the opposite side.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Use a paper plate with a strip of paper stuck on the middle as the arrow. Ask your child to turn it a quarter turn, then a half turn, and say where it points. Ask: “How many quarter turns make a whole turn?”
Exercise 11E Quarter, half and whole turns
Non-calculatorMethod. Go round the clock face one quarter turn at a time, and count the turns.
- Start at 12. The arrow starts at the top of the clock.Start: 12
- Make one quarter turn after another. Each quarter turn moves the arrow on to the next number.12 → 3 → 6 → 9 → 12
- Count the quarter turns. Count each move once.4
Check. Going all the way round the clock takes 4 quarter turns, so each quarter turn is a quarter of the way round. ✓
Watch out. A half turn is two quarter turns, not one.
Method. Go round the clock face one quarter turn at a time, and count the turns.
- Start at 12. The arrow starts at the top of the clock.Start: 12
- Make one quarter turn after another. Each quarter turn moves the arrow on to the next number.12 → 3 → 6
- Count the quarter turns. Count each move once.2
Check. Going all the way round the clock takes 4 quarter turns, so each quarter turn is a quarter of the way round. ✓
Watch out. A half turn is two quarter turns, not one.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a half turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a half turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3 → 6
- Write the number the arrow points to. 6
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a whole turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a whole turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3 → 6 → 9 → 12
- Write the number the arrow points to. 12
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3
- Write the number the arrow points to. 3
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 3
- Turn it clockwise, a quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.3 → 6
- Write the number the arrow points to. 6
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 3. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a three-quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 6
- Turn it clockwise, a three-quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.6 → 9 → 12 → 3
- Write the number the arrow points to. 3
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 6. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a half turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 9
- Turn it clockwise, a half turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.9 → 12 → 3
- Write the number the arrow points to. 3
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 9. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3
- Write the number the arrow points to. 3
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a half turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a half turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3 → 6
- Write the number the arrow points to. 6
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a three-quarter turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a three-quarter turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3 → 6 → 9
- Write the number the arrow points to. 9
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Turn the arrow clockwise, a whole turn.
- Start with the arrow on its number. Clockwise goes 12, 3, 6, 9.Start: 12
- Turn it clockwise, a whole turn. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.12 → 3 → 6 → 9 → 12
- Write the number the arrow points to. 12
Check. Turn it anticlockwise the same amount and it goes back to 12. ✓
Watch out. Count the quarter turns one at a time. Each quarter turn moves the arrow 3 numbers round the clock.
Method. Find where the arrow starts, then make one quarter turn clockwise.
- Find the start. The arrow points to 9.Start: 9
- Make a quarter turn clockwise. Clockwise goes 9, then 12.9 → 12
- Write where it points. Sam said 6, but that is three quarter turns away.No. It points to 12.
Check. From 9 clockwise to 6 is three quarter turns, not one. ✓
Watch out. Clockwise from 9 goes to 12 next, not to 6.
Method. Work out each turn in order, starting from 12.
- Start on 12. The arrow starts at the top.Start: 12
- Make 2 quarter turns clockwise. Two quarter turns make a half turn, to 6.12 → 3 → 6
- Make 1 more quarter turn clockwise. From 6, one quarter turn clockwise goes to 9.6 → 9
- Write where it points. 9
Check. Two quarter turns and one more is three quarter turns in all, so 12 to 9. ✓
Watch out. Do the turns one at a time. Start from the number the arrow is on now.