Step-by-step Maths Level 2: Before, after and between times
Part of the Step-by-step Maths Level 2 time chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Before, after and between times
A day goes in order. Morning comes first, then the afternoon.
Before means earlier. After means later. Between means somewhere in the middle of two times.
Key ideas
- Morning comes before afternoon.
- One hour later is one hour after.
- Between means after one time and before another.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at two o'clock. This is the time we begin with.2:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour later means moving the hour hand on by one number.two o'clock goes to three o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.three o'clock
Check. One hour after three o'clock gives two o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at one o'clock. This is the time we begin with.1:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour earlier means moving the hour hand back by one number.one o'clock goes to twelve o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.twelve o'clock
Check. One hour before twelve o'clock gives one o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at two o'clock. The first time is the start.2:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.two o'clock + 1 hour = three o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 2 and 4.three o'clock
Check. 3 is one hour after 2 and one hour before 4.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Morning comes first, then the afternoon. Put the mornings in order, then the afternoons.
- Sort the mornings. Earlier mornings come first.8 o'clock, 9 o'clock
- Add the afternoons after the mornings. Afternoon comes after the morning.5 o'clock
- Write the order. 8 o'clock in the morning, 9 o'clock in the morning, 5 o'clock in the afternoon
Check. Read the list again. Each time is later than the one before.
Watch out. Check the period first: 9 o'clock in the morning comes before 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
Watch out
Watch out. 12 o'clock comes after 11 o'clock, and 1 o'clock comes after 12 o'clock. The clock goes round.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Make a day plan together. Ask: “What happens first? What happens next? What happens last?”
Exercise 9E Practice: before, after and between
Non-calculatorMethod. Morning comes first, then the afternoon. Put the mornings in order, then the afternoons.
- Sort the mornings. Earlier mornings come first.8 o'clock, 9 o'clock
- Add the afternoons after the mornings. Afternoon comes after the morning.1 o'clock
- Write the order. 8 o'clock in the morning, 9 o'clock in the morning, 1 o'clock in the afternoon
Check. Read the list again. Each time is later than the one before.
Watch out. Check the period first: 9 o'clock in the morning comes before 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
Method. Morning comes first, then the afternoon. Put the mornings in order, then the afternoons.
- Sort the mornings. Earlier mornings come first.9 o'clock
- Add the afternoons after the mornings. Afternoon comes after the morning.1 o'clock, 5 o'clock
- Write the order. 9 o'clock in the morning, 1 o'clock in the afternoon, 5 o'clock in the afternoon
Check. Read the list again. Each time is later than the one before.
Watch out. Check the period first: 9 o'clock in the morning comes before 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at seven o'clock. The first time is the start.7:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.seven o'clock + 1 hour = eight o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 7 and 9.eight o'clock
Check. 8 is one hour after 7 and one hour before 9.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at nine o'clock. This is the time we begin with.9:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour earlier means moving the hour hand back by one number.nine o'clock goes to eight o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.eight o'clock
Check. One hour before eight o'clock gives nine o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Morning comes first, then the afternoon. Put the mornings in order, then the afternoons.
- Sort the mornings. Earlier mornings come first.8 o'clock, 9 o'clock
- Add the afternoons after the mornings. Afternoon comes after the morning.1 o'clock
- Write the order. 8 o'clock in the morning, 9 o'clock in the morning, 1 o'clock in the afternoon
Check. Read the list again. Each time is later than the one before.
Watch out. Check the period first: 9 o'clock in the morning comes before 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at eight o'clock. This is the time we begin with.8:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour later means moving the hour hand on by one number.eight o'clock goes to nine o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.nine o'clock
Check. One hour after nine o'clock gives eight o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at three o'clock. The first time is the start.3:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.three o'clock + 1 hour = four o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 3 and 5.four o'clock
Check. 4 is one hour after 3 and one hour before 5.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Morning comes first, then the afternoon. Put the mornings in order, then the afternoons.
- Sort the mornings. Earlier mornings come first.9 o'clock
- Add the afternoons after the mornings. Afternoon comes after the morning.1 o'clock, 5 o'clock
- Write the order. 9 o'clock in the morning, 1 o'clock in the afternoon, 5 o'clock in the afternoon
Check. Read the list again. Each time is later than the one before.
Watch out. Check the period first: 9 o'clock in the morning comes before 1 o'clock in the afternoon.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at six o'clock. The first time is the start.6:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.six o'clock + 1 hour = seven o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 6 and 8.seven o'clock
Check. 7 is one hour after 6 and one hour before 8.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at one o'clock. The first time is the start.1:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.one o'clock + 1 hour = two o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 1 and 3.two o'clock
Check. 2 is one hour after 1 and one hour before 3.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at ten o'clock. This is the time we begin with.10:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour later means moving the hour hand on by one number.ten o'clock goes to eleven o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.eleven o'clock
Check. One hour after eleven o'clock gives ten o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at eight o'clock. The first time is the start.8:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.eight o'clock + 1 hour = nine o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 8 and 10.nine o'clock
Check. 9 is one hour after 8 and one hour before 10.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at five o'clock. This is the time we begin with.5:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour earlier means moving the hour hand back by one number.five o'clock goes to four o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.four o'clock
Check. One hour before four o'clock gives five o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Find the time one hour after the first time. It is halfway to the second time.
- Start at nine o'clock. The first time is the start.9:00
- Move one hour on. One hour later is halfway to the second time.nine o'clock + 1 hour = ten o'clock
- Write the time between. It is between 9 and 11.ten o'clock
Check. 10 is one hour after 9 and one hour before 11.
Watch out. Between means after the first time and before the second.
Method. Change the hour by one. Keep the minutes the same.
- Start at ten o'clock. This is the time we begin with.10:00
- Change the hour by one. One hour earlier means moving the hour hand back by one number.ten o'clock goes to nine o'clock
- Write the new time. The minutes stay at 00.nine o'clock
Check. One hour before nine o'clock gives ten o'clock again.
Watch out. Going back one hour from 1 o'clock gives 12 o'clock.
Method. Morning comes first, then the afternoon. Put the mornings in order, then the afternoons.
- Sort the mornings. Earlier mornings come first.8 o'clock
- Add the afternoons after the mornings. Afternoon comes after the morning.1 o'clock, 5 o'clock
- Write the order. 8 o'clock in the morning, 1 o'clock in the afternoon, 5 o'clock in the afternoon
Check. Read the list again. Each time is later than the one before.
Watch out. Check the period first: 9 o'clock in the morning comes before 1 o'clock in the afternoon.