Year 2 · Time · Lesson 7.4

Year 2: Drawing the hands on a clock face

Part of the Year 2 time chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

7.4

Drawing the hands on a clock face

Year 2
Draw the hands on a clock face to show a time

Bedtime. Ruby checks the clock before she goes to sleep.

The long hand on 3 is quarter past. The long hand on 6 is half past. The long hand on 9 is quarter to.

When the time is not o’clock, the short hand is between two numbers. At 4:30 it is halfway between 4 and 5.

Half past 4. The long hand is on 6. The short hand is halfway between 4 and 5.

Key ideas

The long hand on 12 means o’clock.
The long hand on 3 means quarter past.
The long hand on 6 means half past.
The long hand on 9 means quarter to.

Worked example 7.4.1

Draw the long hand for 3:15 on a clock face. Which number does it point to?

Method. Work out how many fives are in the minutes. The long hand points to that number.

Look at the minutes. The time is 15 minutes past the hour.
15 minutes
Count in fives. Each number on the clock is 5 minutes.
15 ÷ 5 = 3
Find the number. The long hand points to that number.
Long hand on 3
Write the answer.
3

Check. Count round in fives to 3: 3 × 5 = 15 minutes. ✓

Watch out. The long hand points to the minutes. Count in fives round the clock.

Worked example 7.4.2

Draw the hands for half past 5. Where is the short hand? Write it like this: between 2 and 3.

Method. The short hand moves on a little every minute. Look where it is between the numbers.

Look at the minutes. The minutes are not zero, so the short hand is not on a number.
30 minutes
Look at the hour. The hour is 5, so the short hand has just passed 5.
Hour 5
Write the answer. It is on its way to 6.
between 5 and 6

Check. A quarter of the way to 6 is for 15 minutes. The hour is 5. ✓

Watch out. When the time is not o’clock, the short hand is between two numbers.

Worked example 7.4.3

The long hand is on 9. The short hand is nearly at 8. What time is it? Write it as numbers.

Method. The long hand shows the minutes. The short hand is nearly at 8, so the hour is 7.

Look at the long hand. On 9 the minutes are 45.
Long hand on 9: 9 × 5 = 45
Look at the short hand. It is nearly at 8 but has not reached it, so the hour is 7.
Hour: 7
Write the time. Write the hour, a colon, then the minutes.
7:45

Check. Quarter to 8 is 7:45, and the long hand on 9 shows 45 minutes. ✓

Watch out. Read the short hand for the hour. Do not read the hour as 8 when it is still nearly at 8.

Watch out

Watch out: the short hand is the hour. It is not the long hand. The long hand on 6 is half past, and the short hand is between two numbers.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Let your child draw the hands on a paper clock with a card hand and a split pin. Say a time, like “quarter past 8”, and ask: “Where does the long hand go?” Then ask where the short hand goes.

Exercise 7D Drawing the hands

Non-calculator

FOn paper, draw the long hand for half past 5. Which number does it point to?

Done

FOn paper, draw the long hand for quarter past 8. Which number does it point to?

Done

FOn paper, draw the long hand for quarter to 9. Which number does it point to?

Done

FOn paper, draw the long hand for 10 minutes past 2. Which number does it point to?

Done

FOn paper, draw the long hand for 20 minutes past 6. Which number does it point to?

Done

FThe long hand is on 11. The short hand is just before 12. What time is it? Write it as numbers.

Done

PSOn paper, draw the hands for 6:10. Where is the short hand? Write it like this: between 2 and 3.

Done

RTom draws the short hand on 4 and the long hand on 6. He says it is 4 o’clock. Is he right? Write Yes or No.

Done

PSOn paper, draw the hands for quarter past 4. Where is the short hand? Write it like this: between 2 and 3.

Done

PSThe long hand is on 5. The short hand is between 8 and 9. What time is it? Write it as numbers.

Done

RMia says that when the long hand is on 3, it is always quarter past the hour. Is she right? Write Yes or No.

Done