🕐 Time in Minutes
Let's read the clock accurately to 5-minute intervals, and understand quarter past, half past, and quarter to!
🕐 Parts of an Analogue Clock
An analogue clock has two hands. The short hand shows the hours. The long hand shows the minutes. There are 60 minutes in one hour.
Short (hour) hand
Points to the hour. Moves slowly — takes 12 hours to go all the way around.
Long (minute) hand
Points to the minutes. One full turn = 60 minutes = 1 hour.
Each number on the clock = 5 minutes
1 = 5 min, 2 = 10 min, 3 = 15 min ... 12 = 60 min (or 0)
⏰ Key Time Words
Quarter past
:15
Minute hand points to 3
e.g. quarter past 7 = 7:15
Half past
:30
Minute hand points to 6
e.g. half past 4 = 4:30
Quarter to
:45
Minute hand points to 9
e.g. quarter to 8 = 7:45
Quarter past means 15 minutes AFTER the hour. Quarter to means 15 minutes BEFORE the next hour.
🔢 Reading to 5-Minute Intervals
To read the minutes: look at where the minute hand points, multiply by 5.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Hour hand on 2, minute hand on 3
Minute hand on 3 = 15 minutes. Hour hand on 2 = 2 o'clock.
Time = 2:15 (quarter past two) ✅
Example 2: Hour hand between 5 and 6, minute hand on 9
Minute hand on 9 = 45 minutes. Hour hand past 5 = 5 o'clock (not yet 6).
Time = 5:45 (quarter to six) ✅
Example 3: Minute hand on 7
Minute hand on 7 = 7 × 5 = 35 minutes past the hour.
If hour hand is on 10 → time is 10:35 ✅
Key Vocabulary
15 minutes after the hour. Minute hand at 3.
30 minutes after the hour. Minute hand at 6.
15 minutes before the next hour. Minute hand at 9.
A clock with hands that show hours and minutes.
Knowledge Check
Question 1: The minute hand points to 6. How many minutes is that?
Question 2: The clock shows hour hand on 8, minute hand on 3. What is the time?
Question 3: "Quarter to 3" in digital time is?
Question 4: What does the long (minute) hand show?
Question 5: The clock shows 6:35. Where is the minute hand pointing?
Pax Says:
"Find an analogue clock at home and practise telling the time every hour! Say it two ways — for example: 'It is 4:15, or quarter past four.'"
Key Concepts Summary
- ✓ The short hand shows hours; the long hand shows minutes.
- ✓ Each number on the clock face = 5 minutes.
- ✓ Quarter past = 15 min (hand at 3); half past = 30 min (hand at 6); quarter to = 45 min (hand at 9).
- ✓ To find minutes: multiply the number the long hand points to by 5.