What time is it?

Para preguntar la hora en inglés se utiliza la siguiente expresión: What time is it?

Pero también es usual escuchar alguna de las siguientes expresiones:

– Have you got the time?
– Could you tell me what time is it please?
– Would you mind telling me what time is it?
– Do you know what time is it?

Cuando nos preguntan la hora, siempre hay que comenzar la respuesta con “It is” o su contracción “It’s”.

Cuando a la hora sigue una fracción de minutos, si es inferior a 30 se utiliza el adverbio ‘past’. Si es superior, se indican los minutos seguidos de la preposición ‘to’.

¿Y qué pasa cuando es en punto, y cuarto o y media?
o’clock = ‘en punto’
a quarter past… = ‘y cuarto’
half past… = ‘y media’
a quarter to… = ‘menos cuarto’

Veamos algunos ejemplos

1:00 → It’s one o’clock.
1:30 → It’s half past one.
5:15 → It’s a quarter past five.
6:45 → It’s a quarter to seven.
8:25 → It’s twenty-five past eight.
4:35 → It’s twenty-five to five.

VOCABULARY

FAMOUS CLOCKS

Try to read and use dictionary to understand.

London, England.
It is in the House of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower, commonly called Big Ben.
Big Ben refers to the bell housed within the tower, which weighs more than 13 tons (13,760 kg). It is visible from many locations In London.
The Elizabeth Tower was completed in 1859 and the Great Clock started on 31 May, with the Great Bell’s strikes heard for the first time on 11 July and the quarter bells first chimed on 7 September.
At the base of each clock face of Big Ben in London is a Latin inscription meaning, “Lord save our Queen Victoria I” because the Big Ben Clock Tower and the adjoining Westminster Palace were constructed during that Queen’s reign. Today the Palace of Westminster houses British Parliament sessions, and tourists can even view the Parliament in session for free.

Prague, Czech Republic.
The medieval astronomical clock was built in the one side of the Old Town Tower in 1410. It announces every hour with 12 apostles passing by the window above the astronomical dial and with symbolic sculptures moving aside.
It was constructed by the clockmaker Mikulas of Kadan in collaboration with Jan Ondrejuv called Sindel, professor of mathematics and astronomy of Prague Charles University.

Bern, Switzerland.
The ornate astronomical clock with its moving figures was built in 1530. It served as the city’s main clock and thus had an authoritative function in Bern. It was from there that travel times indicated on stone markers along the cantonal roads were measured. Standard units of length – formerly cubit and fathom, today meter and double meter – are displayed for the public in the arch of the gate.

Venice, Italy.
This astronomical clock is in the Torre dell’Orologio on St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy. The original clock had concentric rings that showed the positions of the Sun, Moon, as well as the relative positions of Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and Mars. The Roman Numerals show the hours of the day. During the 14th and 15th-centuries, these mechanical astronomical clocks were created in several European cities.

Viña del Mar, Chile.
The city, also known as ‘the Garden City’ was founded on December 29th, 1874.
The clock is at the southern entrance to the gardens that encircle the Caleta Abarca cove. It is one of the main icons of the city.

PRACTICE!

What time is it?

SOLUCIONES

1- It’s four o’clock.
2- It’s ten past eight.
3- It’s six o’ clock
4- It’s a quarter to seven.