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Learn Eglish

Numbers and Telling Time

Welcome back! In this lesson, you will learn how to say numbers in English and how to tell the time. Knowing numbers is important for many things—like saying your phone number, telling the time, and stating your age. Let’s begin!

1. Learning Numbers (1–20)

Let’s start with numbers. Numbers are a big part of daily life. Knowing numbers will help you when you need to give or ask for information. We’ll start with numbers 1 to 20, which are the foundation.

Numbers 1–10

Numbers and Telling Time

Numbers 11–20

  • Eleven (11)
  • Twelve (12)
  • Thirteen (13)
  • Fourteen (14)
  • Fifteen (15)
  • Sixteen (16)
  • Seventeen (17)
  • Eighteen (18)
  • Nineteen (19)
  • Twenty (20)

Practice saying each number slowly, then repeat until it feels natural. Saying numbers out loud will help you remember them.

To help you learn these numbers, you can use the LingoSwipe app. The app has flashcards for numbers, so you can practice anywhere and anytime. You can also see how much you are improving!

Activity: Counting Practice

Count from 1 to 20. Go slowly. Once you feel good about it, try counting backward from 20 to 1. Practicing this way can help you remember each number.

2. Learning Larger Numbers (30, 40, 50… 100)

After 20, numbers follow a pattern. When you know numbers 1–10 and 20, you can start to learn numbers like 30, 40, and so on. Here are some common larger numbers:

  • Thirty (30)
  • Forty (40)
  • Fifty (50)
  • Sixty (60)
  • Seventy (70)
  • Eighty (80)
  • Ninety (90)
  • One hundred (100)

To make numbers between these tens (like 32, 56), you say the ten number first and then the single number:

  • 32 = Thirty-two
  • 45 = Forty-five
  • 59 = Fifty-nine
  • 76 = Seventy-six
  • 88 = Eighty-eight

Practice saying these numbers with a friend or family member. Try different numbers between 1 and 100 until you feel comfortable.

Activity: Practice Larger Numbers

Ask a friend to say a number between 1 and 100. You try to say it back in English. For example, if your friend says “47,” you can say “forty-seven.”

3. Understanding Time in English

Time is very useful in English. You use it for many things—when to meet someone, when to wake up, or when to go to work. Let’s start with the basics of telling time.

a) The Hour

The basic unit of time is the hour. There are 24 hours in one day. To say what hour it is, use the numbers 1 to 12. Examples:

  • 1:00 – “One o’clock”
  • 2:00 – “Two o’clock”
  • 3:00 – “Three o’clock”
  • 4:00 – “Four o’clock”

For each hour, we say the number and “o’clock.” This is the full hour, with no minutes. You can practice by looking at a clock and saying, “It is [number] o’clock.”

b) Past the Hour

When the time is not on the hour, we can say the minutes that have passed since the hour. For example, if it is 5 minutes after 9, we say:

  • 9:05 – “Five past nine”

Here are more examples:

  • 10:10 – “Ten past ten”
  • 1:20 – “Twenty past one”
  • 3:25 – “Twenty-five past three”

You can also say it with “past” to express the time. If it is 12 minutes after 11, you can say “twelve past eleven.”

Practice: Past the Hour

Look at a clock showing times like 7:15 or 4:30. Practice saying:

  • “Fifteen past seven”
  • “Half past four” (This is 30 minutes past four.)

c) To the Hour

When the time is closer to the next hour, we can also express this by saying how many minutes are left until the next hour. For example, if it is 20 minutes until 3, we say:

  • 2:40 – “Twenty to three”

Here are more examples:

  • 4:50 – “Ten to five”
  • 6:55 – “Five to seven”
  • 1:45 – “Quarter to two” (This means 15 minutes until 2.)

Practice: To the Hour

Look at a clock that shows 5:50 or 9:40. Practice saying:

  • “Ten to six”
  • “Twenty to ten”

4. Half Past and Quarter Past

Sometimes we want to say the time in special ways.

Half past means 30 minutes past the hour.

Examples:

  • 2:30 – “Half past two”
  • 5:30 – “Half past five”

Quarter past means 15 minutes past the hour.

Examples:

  • 4:15 – “Quarter past four”
  • 6:15 – “Quarter past six”

5. The Format: AM and PM

In English, we use AM and PM to tell the time of day.

  • AM is for morning hours (from 12:00 midnight until 11:59 in the morning).
  • PM is for afternoon, evening, and night hours (from 12:00 noon until 11:59 at night).

Examples:

  • 8:00 AM – This is morning, maybe for breakfast.
  • 3:00 PM – This is afternoon, maybe time for a snack.
  • 7:00 PM – This is evening, maybe time for dinner.

AM and PM help you understand if the time is in the morning or afternoon. Remember, “AM” is morning, and “PM” is afternoon and night.

Practice: AM and PM

Write down some times and add AM or PM. For example, “10:00 AM,” “6:30 PM,” or “9:15 AM.” Practice saying each time out loud.

6. Telling Time Examples

Let’s practice with different times and see how to say them.

  • 3:15 AM – “Quarter past three in the morning”
  • 12:30 PM – “Half past twelve in the afternoon”
  • 6:45 PM – “Quarter to seven in the evening”
  • 8:00 PM – “Eight o’clock in the evening”
  • 9:05 AM – “Five past nine in the morning”
  • 1:20 PM – “Twenty past one in the afternoon”
  • 2:40 PM – “Twenty to three in the afternoon”

Look at a clock and practice saying different times. Try to use “past” and “to” when you see different minutes.

7. Practice Activities for Time and Numbers

Activity 1: What Time Is It?

Ask a friend or family member to say a time. Try to answer in English. For example, if they say “2:30,” you can say “half past two.” If they say “5:45,” you can say “quarter to six.” You can also practice with times that include minutes past and to the hour.

Activity 2: Daily Schedule

Write down three things you do each day and the time you do them. For example:

  • “I eat breakfast at 7:30 AM.” (half past seven in the morning)
  • “I go to work at 9:00 AM.” (nine o’clock in the morning)
  • “I have dinner at 6:00 PM.” (six o’clock in the evening)

Practice saying your schedule out loud. This is a good way to practice time in real life.

Activity 3: Number Bingo

Write numbers 1–20 on small pieces of paper. Mix them and pick a paper. Say the number you picked in English. Practice with a friend or family member if you can. This will help you get better at numbers.

8. Review and Key Points

Let’s review the key points from this lesson:

  1. Numbers 1–20: Practice these numbers every day.
  2. Larger Numbers: Learn to say numbers up to 100.
  3. Telling Time: Learn to say time on the hour, past, and to the hour.
  4. Use AM and PM: Remember what each means.
  5. Practice: Use flashcards in the LingoSwipe app to practice vocabulary and see your progress.

Congratulations! You have learned important information about numbers and telling time in English. Keep practicing, and soon it will feel natural to say the time and numbers. Using the LingoSwipe app will help you continue learning and improving your skills.