Year 2: Telling the time to the hour
Part of the Year 2 time chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Telling the time to the hour
We can also count to the next hour.
When the long hand is on 8, it is 40 minutes past the hour. There are 20 minutes left until the next hour.
We say twenty to 4. The time is 3:40 in numbers.
A quarter to is 15 minutes before the next hour. The long hand is on 9.
Key ideas
- Minutes ‘to’ count back to the next hour.
- A quarter to means 15 minutes before the next hour.
- Say the next hour after ‘to’: twenty to 4.
- The time 3:40 is twenty to 4.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 8, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 8: 8 × 5 = 40 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 4.60 − 40 = 20 minutes to 4
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 4, or write the hour and the minutes.twenty to 4
Check. 40 minutes past 3 and 20 minutes to 4 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 3 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 9, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 9: 9 × 5 = 45 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 6.60 − 45 = 15 minutes to 6
- Write the time. Write the hour, a colon, then the minutes with two digits.5:45
Check. 45 minutes past 5 and 15 minutes to 6 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 5 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 11, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 11: 11 × 5 = 55 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 11.60 − 55 = 5 minutes to 11
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 11, or write the hour and the minutes.five to 11
Check. 55 minutes past 10 and 5 minutes to 11 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 10 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Watch out
Watch out: ‘to’ means the next hour is coming. 3:50 is ten to 4, not ten to 3.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Use a paper clock. Show 4 o’clock, then move the long hand back, 5 minutes at a time. Ask: “Five minutes before 4 o’clock is what time?” Say ‘to’ and the next hour together.
Exercise 7C Telling the time to the hour
Non-calculatorKey words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 9, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 9: 9 × 5 = 45 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 5.60 − 45 = 15 minutes to 5
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 5, or write the hour and the minutes.quarter to 5
Check. 45 minutes past 4 and 15 minutes to 5 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 4 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 10, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 10: 10 × 5 = 50 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 9.60 − 50 = 10 minutes to 9
- Write the time. Write the hour, a colon, then the minutes with two digits.8:50
Check. 50 minutes past 8 and 10 minutes to 9 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 8 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 11, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 11: 11 × 5 = 55 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 3.60 − 55 = 5 minutes to 3
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 3, or write the hour and the minutes.five to 3
Check. 55 minutes past 2 and 5 minutes to 3 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 2 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 8, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 8: 8 × 5 = 40 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 8.60 − 40 = 20 minutes to 8
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 8, or write the hour and the minutes.twenty to 8
Check. 40 minutes past 7 and 20 minutes to 8 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 7 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 7, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 7: 7 × 5 = 35 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 7.60 − 35 = 25 minutes to 7
- Write the time. Write the hour, a colon, then the minutes with two digits.6:35
Check. 35 minutes past 6 and 25 minutes to 7 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 6 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 9, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 9: 9 × 5 = 45 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 12.60 − 45 = 15 minutes to 12
- Write the time. Write the hour, a colon, then the minutes with two digits.11:45
Check. 45 minutes past 11 and 15 minutes to 12 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 11 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 11, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 11: 11 × 5 = 55 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 10.60 − 55 = 5 minutes to 10
- Write the time. Write the hour, a colon, then the minutes with two digits.9:55
Check. 55 minutes past 9 and 5 minutes to 10 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 9 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 10, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 10: 10 × 5 = 50 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 2.60 − 50 = 10 minutes to 2
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 2, or write the hour and the minutes.ten to 2
Check. 50 minutes past 1 and 10 minutes to 2 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 1 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 9, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 9: 9 × 5 = 45 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 1.60 − 45 = 15 minutes to 1
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 1, or write the hour and the minutes.quarter to 1
Check. 45 minutes past 12 and 15 minutes to 1 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 12 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Key words. To means the minutes come before the next hour. A quarter to is 15 minutes to the hour.
Method. Look at the long hand. Then count the minutes to the next hour.
- Look at the long hand. It is past the number 7, so it is more than 30 minutes past the hour.Long hand on 7: 7 × 5 = 35 minutes past
- Count the minutes to the next hour. Take the minutes past away from 60. The next hour is 5.60 − 35 = 25 minutes to 5
- Write the time. Say the minutes to 5, or write the hour and the minutes.twenty-five to 5
Check. 35 minutes past 4 and 25 minutes to 5 make one hour. ✓
Watch out. Do not say 4 when the time is to the next hour. Say the next hour.
Method. Read every clock. Find the one that shows 8:45.
- Read clock A. The short hand is the hour. The long hand is the minutes.9:15
- Read clock B. The short hand is the hour. The long hand is the minutes.8:45
- Read clock C. The short hand is the hour. The long hand is the minutes.9:45
- Find the time we want. Only one clock shows 8:45.8:45 is clock B
- Write the letter. B
Check. The other clocks show different times. ✓
Watch out. Check both hands. The long hand on the right number is not enough on its own.
Method. Work out the time, then decide if the claim is right.
- Work it out. Use the clock or the numbers.4:50 is 10 minutes before 5 o’clock.
- Compare with what is said. Priya says 4:50 is ten to 4.It does not match
- Decide. 4:50 is ten to 5, not ten to 4.No
Check. Check it again: 4:50 is 10 minutes before 5 o’clock.. ✓
Watch out. Check the hour and the minutes, not just one of them.
Method. Start at 4 o’clock. Then go back 5 minutes.
- Start at 4 o’clock. The long hand is on 12.4:00
- Go back 5 minutes. Move the long hand back one number. It goes to 11.4:00 − 5 minutes = 3:55
- Write the answer. Going back past 12 makes the hour 3.3:55
Check. 5 minutes after 3:55 is 4:00, so the answer is right. ✓
Watch out. Going back past 12 on the clock changes the hour to the one before.
Method. Work out the time, then decide if the claim is right.
- Work it out. Use the clock or the numbers.Quarter to 4 is 15 minutes before 4 o’clock, which is 3:45.
- Compare with what is said. Lin says quarter to 4 and 3:45 are the same.It matches
- Decide. Quarter to 4 is 3:45, so Lin is right.Yes
Check. Check it again: Quarter to 4 is 15 minutes before 4 o’clock, which is 3:45.. ✓
Watch out. Check the hour and the minutes, not just one of them.
Method. Work out the time, then decide if the claim is right.
- Work it out. Use the clock or the numbers.The long hand is on 10 minutes. The time is 3:50, which is ten to 4.
- Compare with what is said. Ruby looks at this clock. She says it is ten past 3.It does not match
- Decide. This clock shows ten to 4 (3:50), not ten past 3.No
Check. Check it again: The long hand is on 10 minutes. The time is 3:50, which is ten to 4.. ✓
Watch out. Check the hour and the minutes, not just one of them.