Time and the calendar · Usually met around P1
O'clock, half past and hours
Long hand on 12: o'clock. On 6: half past.
How to do it
Method
Long hand on 12: o'clock. On 6: half past
2 to 5 o'clock: 5 − 2 = 3 hours
Another way
Count the short hand's moves
3, 4, 5 → 3
In full
The short hand shows the hour and the long hand the minutes. Long hand on 12 means o'clock: short hand on 3 is 3 o'clock. Long hand on 6 means half past: the short hand between 3 and 4 is half past 3, because it has passed 3 but not reached 4. The short hand moving from one number to the next is 1 hour. To find how many hours have passed, count the numbers the short hand moves past: 2 o'clock to 5 o'clock, count 3, 4, 5: 3 hours. Or take away: 5 − 2 = 3. To find when something ends, count on: start at 3, 4 hours later, count 4, 5, 6, 7: 7 o'clock.
Worked examples
Have a go first, then open each one for the answer and the working.
Example 1
What o'clock does the clock show?
Show the answer and working
Answer: 8 o'clock
The long hand on 12 means o'clock, and the short hand is on 8: 8 o'clock.
Example 2
What time does the clock show?
- A. Half past 1
- B. 1 o'clock
- C. Half past 6
- D. Half past 2
Choose the right answer
Show the answer and working
Answer: A. Half past 1
Long hand on 6: half past. The short hand is between 1 and 2: half past 1.
Example 3
From 5 o'clock to 7 o'clock, how many hours pass?
Show the answer and working
Answer: 2 hours
The short hand moves from 5 to 7: 7 − 5 = 2 hours.
Practise it in the game →Time and the calendar · Free to start, unlimited questions, no download