Telling Time

Teaching time is an interactive activity for telling time. This activity helps students to learn how to read the clock to tell time using the analogue clock.

You can tell the time by looking at a clock. The face of the clock has two hands:

• A short hand that tells the hour. It is called the hour hand.
• A long hand that tells how many minutes have passed. It is called the minute hand.

While reading or observing the time on a clock or a watch we first need to see the position of hour hand and minute hand of the clock to know the time. If the hour hand is on any number or after any number represents the number itself as the hour but if it is before the next number, the first number represents the hour.

• When the hour hand moves from one number to another, we can say that one hour has passed.

• When the minute hand moves from one number to another
number we can say that 5 minutes have passed.

If the minute hand is on any number or after it before the next number then the minutes = first number × 5 + small division.

When the minute hand points to 12, the hour hand tells us what time it is.

The minute hand is at 12.  The hour hand is at 2. Read: 2 o'clock. Write: 2:00

See how the minute and hour hands move.

Telling time to the next Hour:

• When the minute hand is on the right side of the clock. We say minutes past the hour.

• When the minute hand is on the left side of the clock. We say minutes to the next hour.

Here are some examples of telling time to know the time by the clock.

(i) Hour hand is on 8 and minute hand is on 12.

So, time is 8 o’clock, i.e., 8:00

(ii) The hour hand is just after 8 but before 9 and minute hand is on 4.

So, the time is between 8 o’clock and 9 o’clock. The minute hand is on 4. So the minute hand has removed 4 × 5 = 20 small divisions, i.e., 20 minutes.

So, the time is 20 minutes past 8 or 8:20.

or, 40 minutes to 9.

(iii) Here the hour hand is just after 9 and minute hand is at one division after 5.

Hour hand being after 9 indicates it is past 9 o’clock.

Minute hand being one division after five indicates minutes = 5 × 5 + 1 = 26 minutes.

So, the time is 26 minutes past 9 or 9:26.

or, 34 minutes to 10.

(iv) Here, the hour hand is between 3 and 4 and minute hand is 4 divisions after 3.

So, hour hand indicates it is past 3 o’clock and minute hand indicates 3 × 5 + 4 = 19 minutes.

Hence, time is 19 minutes past 3 or 3:19

(v) Here, the hour hand is between 7 and 8. So, it indicates that it is past 7 o’clock.

Minute hand is 2 divisions after 11. So, it indicates 11 × 5 + 2 = 57 minutes.

Hence, time is 7:57

57 minutes after 7.

It is also called 3 minutes to 8, i.e., (8 - 7.57 = 0.03)

(vi) Here hour hand and minute hand both are at 12.

So, time is 12:00

So the main thing while telling time we need follow the positions of hour hand and minute hand indicate the time on the clock faces.

Read the correct time. Fill in the boxes.

(i)

The hour hand is at _____

The minute hand is at 12.

It is _____ o'clock.

(ii)

The hour hand is at _____

The minute hand is at 12.

It is _____ o'clock.

(iii)

The hour hand is at _____

The minute hand is at 12.

It is _____ o'clock.

● Related Concept

● Different Ways of Reading Time

3rd Grade Math Worksheets

3rd Grade Math Lessons

From Telling Time to HOME PAGE