How to Read a Watch in English

Reading a watch can be a useful skill, especially when communicating the time in English. Here's how to describe the time on a standard analog watch face:

To tell the hour, look at the position of the hour hand (the shorter of the two hands):

• If the hour hand is pointing directly at a number, that is the current hour. For example, if the hour hand is pointing to the 3, the time is 3 o'clock.
• If the hour hand is between two numbers, you can say the time as the earlier hour plus "something" o'clock. For example, if the hour hand is between the 3 and the 4, you can say "half past 3" or "three thirty".

To tell the minutes, look at the position of the minute hand (the longer of the two hands):

• If the minute hand is pointing directly at a number, that is the current number of minutes past the hour. For example, if the minute hand is pointing to the 6, the time is X:30 (half past the hour).
• If the minute hand is between two numbers, you can say the time as the earlier minute plus "something" minutes. For example, if the minute hand is between the 2 and the 3, you can say "twentyfive past X" or "X twentyfive".

Here are some other common ways to express the time in English:

• o'clock (ex: 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock)
• half past (ex: half past 2, half past 9)
• quarter to/past (ex: quarter to 4, quarter past 6)
• Exact times (ex: 2:17, 8:43)

With practice, reading and telling time on an analog watch will become a natural skill in English. Remember to pay attention to both the hour and minute hands to accurately express the current time.