Practice
English practice: numbers, dates, and time
Sign in to saveThe train leaves at quarter past seven on the twenty-third of May. One short sentence can contain three details that matter, so clear number and time language helps people avoid a missed train or a wrong appointment.
Say and understand everyday numbers, dates, and clock times clearly when arranging plans, checking details, or talking about prices.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
quarter to eight; the twenty-third of May /ˈkwɔːtə tə eɪt/; /ðə ˌtwentiˈθɜːd əv meɪ/
The short answer
For everyday details, say the number in the form that fits its job. Use ordinal numbers for dates, say times with o'clock, past, or to when useful, and add a.m., p.m., morning, or evening when the time could be unclear.
Our appointment is at half past three on the fourth of June.
Why it works: Half past three gives the time, and fourth is the ordinal form used for the date.
6 more examples
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The museum opens at nine o'clock.
Use o'clock for an exact hour.
Not this:The museum opens at
nine thirtyon Saturdays. What changes: Nine thirty is thirty minutes after nine, so o'clock is not used. -
The course starts on the twelfth of October.
Dates use an ordinal number, not the cardinal form twelve.
Not this:There are
twelvestudents in the course. What changes: Twelve is a quantity, so it is a cardinal number here. -
Your coffee and sandwich cost six pounds fifty.
A price can be said with the whole-pound amount followed by pence.
Not this:The café is
six minutesaway. What changes: Minutes show duration or distance in time, not money. -
Please arrive at quarter to eight.
Quarter to eight means fifteen minutes before eight, or 7:45.
Not this:Please arrive at
quarter past eight. What changes: Quarter past eight means 8:15, after the hour. -
My flight is at six fifteen in the morning.
The phrase in the morning removes doubt about whether the flight is at 6:15 a.m. or p.m.
Not this:The concert begins at
six fifteen in the evening. What changes: The same clock time can refer to a different part of the day. -
Room one hundred and four is on the first floor.
Room numbers are commonly read as a whole number in this type of context.
Not this:The office is on the
fourthfloor. What changes: Floor position uses an ordinal number.
Read the full guide
Start by identifying what the number describes. A price usually needs a currency word. A date uses an ordinal number such as first, second, or twenty-first. A clock time can use o'clock, past, to, or a digital style such as seven thirty. Add the part of the day when someone might confuse morning and evening.
Decide what the number tells the listener
The same number can have several meanings. Eight may be a bus number, a price, an hour, or a quantity. The word before or after it tells the listener what to expect. Say the unit when it helps: eight pounds, eight minutes, or platform eight.
The bus to the station leaves from platform eight.
Eight identifies a platform here. It does not mean eight platforms.
What does twenty describe in The delivery takes twenty minutes?
It describes a length of time: twenty minutes.
Use cardinal numbers for amounts
Cardinal numbers answer how many or how much. Use one, two, three, and larger number words for people, objects, prices, distances, and quantities. A plural countable noun normally follows a number greater than one.
We need three copies of the form.
Three is an amount, and copies is plural because there is more than one.
The tickets are twenty-four pounds each.
Twenty-four tells you the price of one ticket.
Use ordinal numbers for dates and positions
Use first, second, third, fourth, and other ordinal forms for a place in an order. Calendar dates need an ordinal form: the first of January, the twenty-first of July, or the thirty-first of December. Floors, birthdays, and ranks also often use ordinals.
Her birthday is on the third of March.
Third marks a particular day in March, so it is an ordinal number.
Which form completes the date: the ___ of August, two or second?
Use second: the second of August.
Say exact times and times between hours
For an exact hour, use o'clock: The meeting is at five o'clock. For other times, you can use a digital form such as five twenty, or use past and to. Ten past five is 5:10. Twenty to six is 5:40. Both styles are common in conversation.
The pharmacy closes at ten past six.
Ten past six means ten minutes after six, or 6:10.
Our taxi arrives at twenty to nine.
Twenty to nine means twenty minutes before nine, or 8:40.
Use quarter and half for common times
Quarter means fifteen minutes and half means thirty minutes. Quarter past four is 4:15. Half past four is 4:30. Quarter to five is 4:45. These forms are especially useful when you are listening to travel announcements or arranging a meeting.
Let's meet at half past two near the entrance.
Half past two is 2:30, thirty minutes after two.
What time is quarter to seven?
It is 6:45, fifteen minutes before seven.
Make dates and appointments unambiguous
If a time could be morning or evening, add a.m., p.m., in the morning, or in the evening. If you write a date for people in more than one country, spell out the month. That simple choice prevents a reader from mistaking 04/06 for a different day.
The dentist can see you at 4:30 p.m. on 6 June.
The time includes p.m., and the month is written out, so the appointment details are clear.
How can you make 7:00 clearer when arranging an evening meal?
Say seven o'clock in the evening or write 7:00 p.m.
Before you go
Remember this
First decide whether your number is an amount, a date, a time, a price, or an identifying number. Use cardinal numbers for amounts and ordinal numbers for dates and positions. For appointment times, give a clear clock form and add morning or evening when it matters.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: numbers, dates, and time"
When do I use an ordinal number in English?
Use an ordinal number for a position in an order, including a calendar date. The course starts on the twelfth of October uses twelfth because it names a day. Use a cardinal number for an amount, as in There are twelve students in the course.
The museum opens at nine o'clock.
How do I say an exact time in English?
Use o'clock when the minute hand is at twelve: The museum opens at nine o'clock. For other times, you can say a digital form such as nine thirty, or use past and to, such as ten past six and twenty to nine.
The museum opens at nine thirty on Saturdays.
What do quarter past and quarter to mean?
Quarter past means fifteen minutes after the hour, so quarter past eight is 8:15. Quarter to means fifteen minutes before the next hour, so quarter to eight is 7:45. Half past means thirty minutes after the hour.
The course starts on the twelfth of October.
How can I say a price in British English?
For pounds and pence, say the whole-pound amount followed by the pence amount: Your coffee and sandwich cost six pounds fifty. When there are no pence, you can simply say a whole amount such as twenty-four pounds.
There are twelve students in the course.
How can I make a date or time clear in an international message?
Write the month as a word and state a.m., p.m., morning, or evening when needed. The dentist can see you at 4:30 p.m. on 6 June is clearer than an all-numeric date because the day, month, and part of the day are explicit.
Your coffee and sandwich cost six pounds fifty.