Telling Time in English — ESL Clock Practice
English language learners
Telling the time in English involves both reading the clock face AND using the correct vocabulary. English has many expressions for time: "three o'clock", "quarter past four", "half past two", "ten to six." This game builds both skills at once — you read the clock and learn the English words for what you see.
Teaching Tips & Strategies
- →Learn these four key phrases: o'clock · quarter past · half past · quarter to
- →"Quarter past 3" = 3:15. "Quarter to 4" = 3:45. The "to" means counting toward the next hour.
- →In American English, you often hear "three fifteen" or "three forty-five" instead of quarter past/to.
- →Speak the time aloud as you answer — hearing yourself say it reinforces the vocabulary.
Curriculum Alignment
- • Vocabulary: o'clock, quarter past/to, half past, minutes past/to
- • Listening and speaking: telling the time in conversation
- • Reading analog and digital clock formats
ESL Learners Clock Practice Game
Clocks are filtered to the level appropriate for esl learners students. Press Start when ready.