What You Need to Know

A clock has two hands — a short hand for hours and a long hand for minutes. When the long hand points to 12, we say o'clock. When it points to 6, we say half past.

Key Concept Diagram

The short (hour) hand tells us what hour it is

The long (minute) hand points to 12 for o'clock and to 6 for half past

There are 60 minutes in one hour

Half past means 30 minutes past the hour — halfway around the clock

Key Vocabulary

hour hand

The short hand on a clock — shows what hour it is

minute hand

The long hand on a clock — shows how many minutes past the hour

o'clock

Exactly on the hour — the long hand points to 12

half past

30 minutes past the hour — the long hand points to 6

Knowledge Check

Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.

Question 1

If the short hand is on 3 and the long hand is on 12, what time is it?

Half past 3 3 o'clock 12 o'clock Quarter past 3

Question 2

If the short hand is between 7 and 8 and the long hand is on 6, what time is it?

7 o'clock Half past 8 Half past 7 Half past 6

Question 3

How many minutes are in one hour?

30 24 100 60

Question 4

At half past 4, the long hand points to...

6 12 4 9

Question 5

School starts at 9 o'clock. Where would the long hand be?

On the 9 On the 12 On the 3 On the 6

Time: O'Clock and Half Past