Telling the Time: Quarter to the Hour

Telling the Time (5 Minute Intervals Past the Hour): Interactive Questions

Telling the Time (5 Minute Intervals Past and To the Hour): Interactive Questions

How to read 5 minute intervals to the hour when telling the time on an analogue clock

An analogue clock has numbers 1 to 12.

The larger analogue clock hand is called the minute hand. It tells us how many minutes have passed.

When the minute hand completes one full turn, one whole hour has passed.

The shorter analogue clock hand is the hour hand. It tells us how many hours have passed.

telling the time on an analogue clock face reading minutes to and minutes past

When the clock’s minute hand is pointing to a number in the first half of the analogue clock face, it is showing minutes past the hour.

When the minute hand is pointing to a number in the second half of the analogue clock face, it is showing minutes to the next hour.

telling the time on an analogue clock and reading minutes to the next hour

Each increment on the clock face is one minute.

Looking at the left-hand-side of the clock, moving anti-clockwise from 12, each number is a multiple of 5 minutes to the next hour.

So, from 12 we can count in fives to find out how many minutes there are until the next hour is reached.

We can count the minutes up to, but not including, 30. We don’t say 30 minutes to. Instead, we say half past.

reading the time 5 minutes to 2 when telling the time on an analogue clockface

In the example above, the minute hand is pointing to 11. This means that it is 5 minutes to the next hour.

The hour hand is moving towards 2.

The time is five minutes to 2.

reading the time ten minutes to 8 when telling the time on an analogue clockface

The minute hand is pointing to 10. This means that it is 10 minutes to the next hour.

The hour hand is moving towards 8.

The time is ten minutes to 8.

The minute hand of our clock is pointing to 7.

Counting anti-clockwise in fives, we have 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.

This means that it is 25 minutes to the next hour.

The hour hand is moving towards 11.

The time is twenty-five minutes to 11.

Lesson: Forming Algebraic Expressions

Telling the Time to 5 Minute Intervals

5 minute intervals past the hour

Each of the small marks on the edge of a clock face represents 1 minute.

There are 5 minutes between each of the numbers that are written on the clock face.

To see how many minutes past the hour each written number represents, we can multiply the number by 5.

For example 2 × 5 = 10 and so, the 2 represents 10 minutes past.

There are 60 minutes in a complete hour.

Minutes past and to the hour

As well as representing minutes past the hour, the numbers on the clock can represent minuts to the hour.

We can count backwards to see how many minutes to the hour each number represents.

There are 5 minutes between each number written on the clock.

The 11 represents 5 minutes to the hour.

The 10 represents 10 minutes to the hour.

We can count how many numbers each number is backwards from 12 and multiply this by 5 to see how many minutes to the hour it represents.

We can see below that the minutes to and minutes past the hour are symmetrical.

5 Minutes intervals on a clock

We can multiply each number on the clock by 5 to see how many minutes past the hour it represents.

The minutes to the hour are symmetrical with the minutes past the hour.

reading the time of 25 past 2 on a clock

The longer minute hand is pointing at the 5.

We multiply this 5 by 5 to see how many minutes past the hour it represents.

5 × 5 = 25, so we have 25 minutes past the hour.

The shorter hour hand has gone past the 2 but not yet reached the 3.

The time is 25 minutes past 2.

Supporting Lessons

5 Minute Intervals Past the Hour

5 Minute Intervals to the Hour

Telling the Time in 5 Minute Intervals

5 Minute Intervals Past the Hour

To tell the time in 5 minute intervals:

Multiply the number that the minute hand is pointing at by 5.

The result is the number of minutes past the hour.

The hour is the last number on the clock that the hour hand has gone past.

The minutes on a clock are shown by the small lines on the outside edge of the clock face.

There are 5 minutes between each of the numbers that are written on the clock face.

5 Minute intervals past the hour

Each number written on the clock face represents 5 minutes past the hour.

5 minute intervals shown on a clock

Here in an example of telling the time to the nearest 5 minute interval.

5 past 7 reading a clock in 5 minute intervals

We first look at the longer minute hand.

It is pointing at the 1.

We multiply the number 1 by 5 to see how many minutes past the hour it represents.

1 × 5 = 5 and so, the 1 on the clock represents 5 minutes past the hour.

If you count the number of minute marks from the top of the clock, there will be 5 by the time you get to the 1.

telling the time in 5 minute intervals example of 5 past 7

The shorter hand is the hour hand and it has just gone past the 7.

This means that the time is 5 minutes past 7.

The hour hand tells us the hour and the minute hand tells us the minutes past this hour.

Here is another example of reading the minutes past the hour in 5 minute intervals.

20 minutes past 9 on an analogue clock

The minute hand is pointing at the 4.

We multiply the 4 by 5 to see how many minutes past the hour this is.

4 × 5 = 20 and so, the 4 on the clock represents 20 minutes past the hour.

reading time in 5 minute intervals example of 20 past 9

The hour hand is in between the 9 and the 10. This means that the hour hand has past the 9 but not yet reached the 10.

The time is 20 minutes past 9.

Here is another example of telling the time to the nearest 5 minutes.

The minute hand is pointing at the 5.

We multiply 5 by 5 to see how many minutes past this represents.

5 × 5 = 25 and so, the 5 on the clock represents 25 minutes past the hour.

reading 25 past 2 when telling the time to the nearest 5 minutes

The hour hand is in between 2 and 3. This means that the hour hand has gone past 2 but not yet reached 3.

23 Minutes Past 2 shown on a clock face

The time is 25 minutes past 2.

Telling the Time in 5 Minute Intervals To the Hour

To tell the time in 5 minute intervals to the hour use the following steps:

Look at the number on the clock that the minute hand is pointing to.

Reading anticlockwise, count how many numbers there are until you get to this number.

Multiply this amount by 5.

This is the number of minutes to the hour.

The hour is the number that the hour hand will point at next.

We look at minutes to the hour when the minutes hand has gone past the 6. This is when the minutes to the next hour is less than the minutes past the previous hour.

minutes past and minutes to the hour

We try to use minutes less than 30 to describe the time. If the minutes past the hour are between 0 and 30, then we use minutes past.

If the minutes past the hour are between 30 and 60, then we use minutes to the hour instead.

Basically, if the minute hand is before the 6, we use minutes past and if the minute hand is after the 6, we use minutes to the hour.

telling the time on an analogue clock reading minutes past and minutes to the hour

We can count back from the hour in minutes to see the minutes to the next hour.

minutes to the hour

Each mark is worth 1 minute. We can see that the number 11 is 5 minutes away from the next hour. Each extra number on the clock that we count is worth another 5 minutes.

minutes to the next hour

Here is an example of reading minutes to the hour.

The minute hand is pointing at the 11. This is one number away from 12 at the top and so, this is one lot of 5 minutes to the next hour.

The minute hand pointing at 11 means 5 minutes to the next hour.

the time is 5 minutes to 2

We look at the shorter hour hand to see what the hour part of the time is.

The hour hand is between the 1 and the 2. It is very close to the 2 but not fully pointing at it yet.

In 5 minutes, it will be 2 o’clock.

The time is 5 minutes to 2.

5 Minutes To 2

Here is another example of telling the time to 5 minute intervals.

The minute hand is pointing at the 10.

The number 10 is two numbers away from the 12 at the top. This means we have two blocks of 5 minutes until the next hour.

We are 10 minutes to the next hour.

reading minutes to the hour. 10 minutes to 8 oclock.

The hour hand is between 7 and 8. It has already gone past 7 but not yet reached 8.

The next hour is 8 o’clock. This is in 10 minutes.

The time is 10 minutes to 8.

reading 5 minute intervals to the hour example of 10 to 8

Here is another example of telling the time in 5 minute intervals.

The minute hand is pointing at the 7. This number is five numbers away from the 12 at the top.

This means we have five lots of 5 minutes until the next hour.

The time is 25 minutes to the next hour.

In this example, it is easy to see that we are close to half past the hour, which is 30 minutes to the next hour. It is easier to take the 5 minutes off 30 to get 25 minutes to the hour.

25 minutes to 11 shown on a clock

The next hour is shown by the hour hand. It is in between 10 and 11.

This means that we have already had 10 o’clock and the next hour is 11 o’clock.

25 to 11 when reading the time to the nearest 5 minutes

The time is 25 minutes to 11.

Now try our lesson on How to Read a Clock where we learn how to ready any time on a clock.

How to Read a Clock

How to Tell the Time to a Quarter to the Hour

teaching quarter to the hour when telling the time

When the longer minutes hand is pointing at the 9, there is one quarter of an hour to go until the next hour.

When the minutes hand is pointing at the 9, it is a quarter to the next hour.

The minute hand needs to travel another quarter of the clock to get to the next hour.

The shorter hour hand is between the 1 and the 2 and so, the next hour is 2 o’clock.

The time shown is a quarter to 2.

This means that it is fifteen minutes until 2 o’clock.

Because 45 minutes have passed since 1 o’clock, the time can also be written as 1:45.

It is 15 minutes until 2 o’clock.

If the minutes hand is pointing at the 9, then the time is a quarter to the hour.

The number that the hour hand will reach next tells us which hour this is.

reading the time of a quarter to 5

After 4 o’clock, the minute hand moves around to point at the 9.

Since the minute hand is pointing at the 9, the time is a quarter to the next hour.

We have already had 4 o’clock and the next hour is 5 o’clock.

We can see that the next number that the hour hand will point at is a 5.

The time is a quarter to 5.

The time can also be written as 4:45 since it is 45 minutes past 4 o’clock.

Supporting Lessons

Telling the Time Quarter to the Hour Worksheets and Answers

Telling the Time to 5 Minute Intervals

Telling the Time (Hours, Half Past, Quarter Past and To): Interactive Activity

Telling the Time: Quarter to the Hour

What is Quarter to the Hour?

A quarter to the hour is when it is 15 minutes until the next hour. We know it is a quarter to the hour when the minute hand is pointing at the 9.

Here are the two hands of a clock. The longer hand is the minute hand and the shorter hand is the hour hand.

minute and hour hands of a clock

When the minute hand completes a full turn, an hour has passed. From one hour to the next, the minute hand rotates from pointing at the 12 all the way around to point back at the 12 again.

With any time we can say how many minutes it is past the previous hour or we can say how many minutes it will be until the next hour.

When the minute hand reaches the 6 at the bottom, it is halfway around the clock.

what do to the hour and past the hour mean on a clock

Before the minute hand reaches the bottom it is nearer to the previous hour and so, we use minutes past the hour.

After the minute hand reaches the bottom, it is now nearer to the next hour. It is now easier to say how many minutes it is until the next hour instead of how many minutes past the previous hour it is.

what does to and past the hour mean on a clock?

When the minute hand is pointing directly at the 9, there is one-quarter of an hour to go until the next hour.

In this example, the next hour is 2 o’clock.

teaching a quarter to the hour on a clock

It is easier to say that the time is a quarter to 2 instead of saying that it is 45 minutes past one.

Because the time is close to 2 o’clock, it is more helpful to say a quarter to 2 as it reminds us that it is almost 2 o’clock. We can see that the hour hand is one-quarter of the way away from pointing at the 2.

quarter to 2 shown on a clock diagram

For a quarter to the hour, the minute hand is pointing exactly at 9 but the hour hand is in between two numbers. The larger of these numbers is the hour that it is a quarter to.

reading quarter to 2 shown on a clock

An hour is 60 minutes long. A quarter of 60 is 15. So when it is a quarter to the next hour, it is 15 minutes to the next hour.

45 minutes have already passed since the previous hour so all times that are quarter to the next hour are the same as 45 minutes past the previous hour.

When written down, times that are a quarter to the next hour will always display 45 minutes past the previous hour. For example, 1:45 is a quarter to 2 and 6:45 is a quarter to 7.

We cannot write a quarter to the hour in the digital clock form. We have to write the previous hour, put the colon and then a 45.

How to Show Quarter to the Hour on a Clock

When the minute hand is pointing directly at the 9, it is quarter to the next hour. Look at the next number that the hour hand will reach to see what this next hour is.

Here is an example of reading quarter to when telling the time.

reading a quarter to 5 on a clock

The minute hand is pointing directly at the 9 and so, we know the time is quarter to the next hour.

We look at the shorter hour hand and see that the next number it will reach is 5. So the time is a quarter to 5.

We can see that the hour hand is almost pointing at the 5 but just not quite there. When it finally reaches 5 o’clock, then the hour hand will eventually point exactly at the 5.

reading quarter to 5 on a clock

Quarter to 5 can also be said as ‘one forty-five’ and written as 1:45.

How to Teach Quarter to the Hour

To teach quarter to the hour, it is first important to understand how to read quarter past the hour. Then it is worth noticing the pattern that all times that are quarter to the hour will have a minute hand pointing directly at the 9.

It is also helpful to point out when it is quarter to the next hour in day to day life and also to encourage your child to try and do the same.

Here is a quarter to 9.

When teaching quarter past and quarter to, it is important to focus on the hour hand to make sure they know which number to read.

The hour hand is between 8 and 9.

Either it is 8:45 or a quarter to 9. It is worth looking at both answers and showing how this relates to the position of the hour hand.

quarter to 9 shown on a clock

In general, you should choose the number that the hour hand is closest to when reading quarter past or quarter to.

quarter to 9 shown on a clock

It can also be helpful to show diagrams like those shown on this page, by drawing a clock face and shading it in. This can help explain quarters and why when the minute hand points at 3, it is quarter past and when the minute hand points at 9, it is quarter to.

Here is another example.

reading quarter to 11 on a clock

The minute hand is pointing at the 9 and so, it is a quarter to the next hour. We look at the hour hand and see that the next hour it reaches is 11.

The time is a quarter to 11.

Now try our lesson Telling the Time to 5 Minute Intervals where we learn how to tell the time to 5 minute intervals.

telling the time 5 minute intervals

How to Tell the Time to Quarter Past the Hour

how to read quarter past 1 on an analogue clock

The longer minute hand completes a full turn in one hour.

When the minute hand points at the 3, it has travelled a quarter of the way around the clock.

When the minute hand points at the 3, we say that it is quarter past the hour.

In this example, we start at one o’clock and the minute hand moves to point at the 3.

The time shown is quarter past 1.

We can see that the shorter hour hand has moved a quarter of the way from the 1 to the 2.

If the longer minute hand is pointing at the 3, then it is quarter past the hour.

To decide which hour, look at which number the shorter hour hand has just gone past.

example of telling the time as quarter past seven

The longer minute hand completes 7 cycles of the clock to get to 7 o’clock.

The minute hand then continues to move until it is pointing at the 3.

Because the minute hand is pointing at the 3, we know that it is quarter past the hour.

We look at the shorter hour hand to decide which hour this is.

The hour hand has gone past the 7 but has not yet reached the 8.

So the time is quarter past 7.

We can write this as 7:15 because one quarter of an hour is 15 minutes.

Supporting Lessons

Telling the Time to Quarter Past the Hour Worksheets and Answers

Telling the Time (o’clock, Half Past and Quarter Past): Interactive Activity

Telling the Time: Quarter Past – Interactive Activity

Telling the Time to Quarter Past the Hour

What is Quarter Past on a Clock?

Quarter past means that 15 minutes have passed since the last hour. There are 60 minutes in a whole hour and so, one-quarter of an hour is 15 minutes.

For example, if the time is ‘quarter past one’, then the time is 1:15 or 15 minutes past one.

The clock face contains two hands:

The minute hand, which is the longer hand.
The hour hand, which is the shorter hand.

minute and hour hands on an analogue clock

The minute hand completes one full turn in one hour. From one hour to the next, the minute hand moves from pointing at the 12 all the way around back to pointing at the 12 again.

In a quarter of an hour, the minute hand only gets one quarter of the way around the clock. It completes one quarter of a turn.

In the example below, we can see that the minute hand has moved one quarter of a turn. It is pointing at the 3.

reading quarter past one on a clock

The time shown is one quarter past one.

Whenever the minute hand of a clock is pointing directly at the 3, the time is quarter past the hour. This is because there are 12 numbers on the whole clockface and 3 is one quarter of 12.

We can see that the shorter hour hand has moved one-quarter of the way from the 1 to the 2. It is still closer to the 1 than the 2 but it has gone past the 1.

teaching quarter past the hour on a clock

There are 60 minutes in a full hour. 60 ÷ 4 = 15 and so, one quarter of an hour is 15 minutes.

The time of ‘quarter past one’ can also be said as ‘one fifteen’ and it can be written as 1:15.

quarter past 1 on a clock

How to Show Quarter Past on a Clock

Quarter past the hour is shown with the longer minute hand pointing directly at the 3. To decide what hour this is, look at which number the shorter hour hand has just gone past.

For example, if the minute hand is pointing at the 3 and the hour hand has just gone past the 4 but not yet reached the 5, the time is quarter past 4.

Here is quarter past 4 shown on a clock.

telling the time quarter past 4 shown on a clock

As soon as we see the minute hand pointing to the right, directly at the 3, we know that the time is quarter past the hour.

To decide what hour this is, we look at the hour hand to see what number it has just gone past.

When the time is quarter past the hour, the hour hand will not be pointing directly at a number. It will be in between two numbers. The smaller of these numbers is the hour that the time is a quarter past.

telling the time example of quarter past 4

Here we can see that the minute hand is pointing directly at the 3 but the hour hand is just past the 4. The time shown is a quarter past 4 or 4:15.

We can see that the hour hand has gone past the 4 but not yet past the 5. It cannot be a quarter past 5 yet. The hour hand is also closer to the 4 so the hour hand will be closest to pointing at the hour that it is a quarter past.

How to Teach Quarter Past When Telling the Time

To teach time to quarter past the hour, first start by teaching how to read hours and half hours. Explain the pattern that the longer minute hand will always be pointing at the 3 whenever it is quarter past the hour. A ruler can be used to extend the hour hand so that you can easily read what hour it has just gone past.

When teaching quarter past, it is first necessary to understand how to read hours of the clock. It is also useful for a child to understand how long an hour is so that they have a reference for how much time has elapsed. To do this, you can tell your child when a new hour arrives, ask them to tell you when a new hour will arrive and also to predict what hour will come next.

It is also best to look at half hours before quarter hours as they can be easier to recognise.

Here is an example of the time of quarter past 7.

telling the time as quarter past seven shown on a clock

It is helpful to show that the hour hand has moved a quarter of the way from the 7 towards the 8 as shown in the diagram.

It can also be helpful to show that the minute hand has moved a quarter of the way around the clock to get to the 3. You can cover the clock face with a circular piece of paper and then cut this paper into quarters. We can see that the quarter of the circle fits into the area where the minute hand has moved from the top to the 3. We can see this area shown on the clock below.

teaching quarter past the hour diagram

This can help a child to understand why the time is called quarter past. They should first be familiar with the idea of shapes divided into quarters.

how to read quarter past on a clock example of quarter past 7

Then as before, when it is quarter past the hour each day, it can be helpful to tell your child and ask them to let you know when it is quarter past an hour.

Here is the example of a quarter past twelve.

Here the minute hand is still pointing at the 3 and the hour hand has just moved past the 12.

This is an example worth teaching as the 12 is before the 1 and this can sometimes be confusing if not directly considered.

quarter past 12 shown on a clock

Now try our lesson How to Read Quarter to the Hour on a Clock where we learn how to read quarter to the hour on a clock face.

How to Read Quarter to the Hour on a Clock

reading quarter to the hour on a clock

Half Past the Hour

reading half past the hour

The larger minute hand completes a full turn in one hour.

A new hour begins when the minute hand reaches the top, pointing at the 12.

When the minute hand completes half of a full turn, half an hour has passed.

It is half past the hour when the larger minute hand reaches the bottom, pointing at the 6.

From 1 o’clock, the minute hand moves half way around to point at the 6.

We call this time half past 1, because we are half way past 1 o’clock.

We can see that the smaller hour hand is half way between the hours of 1 and 2 o’clock.

Half past 1 is the time that is exactly half way between 1 and 2 o’clock.

Because there are 60 minutes in an hour, 30 minutes have passed.

The time shown is half past 1, which can also be written as 1:30 or 30 minutes past 1.

It is half past the hour when the larger minute hand is pointing to the 6.

We say it is half past the hour that the hour hand has just moved past.

Telling the time example of Half Past 8

The minute hand completes 8 full turns to get to 8 o’clock.

At 8 o’clock, the hour hand points exactly to 8 and the minute hand points exactly to 12.

The minute hand then completes another half turn.

Because the minute hand is pointing at the 6, we know that the time is half past the hour.

The time is half past 8.

We know this because the hour hand has gone past the 8 but has not yet reached the 9.

The hour hand is halfway between the 8 and the 9.

Supporting Lessons

Telling Time: Hours

Half Past the Hour: Interactive Questions

Telling the Time: Half Past the Hour Worksheets and Answers

Drawing Hands on the Clock Face Worksheets

drawing hands on the clock face quarter past worksheet pdf

drawing hands on the clock face quarter past worksheet answers pdf