My Day, Hour by Hour
Primary 1 · English
My Day, Hour by Hour
Lesson 4 of 6
13 min
Let's begin
Grown-up: read this page out loud. Move your arm round like the long hand while you read.
Habimana is at his breakfast.
His mother says: "We go at half past six."
Habimana looks at the clock. The long hand is at the bottom.
Today you will read half past, quarter past and quarter to.
The long hand goes round the clock all the time.
The short hand goes very slowly.
The long hand goes all the way round in one hour.
The long hand goes half of the way round. Now it points straight down at the bottom.
You say half past.
Worked example. The short hand is a little after 6. The long hand is straight down.
You say: It is half past six.
A quarter is a small part of the hour.
Quarter past six comes after six o'clock. The long hand has gone a little way round. It points at the 3.
Quarter to seven comes before seven o'clock. The long hand is still going to the top. It points at the 9.
Careful! Quarter to six is not after six. It comes before six o'clock.
Move your arm round: past has gone by. To is not there yet.
Now put your day on the clock. Say these out loud:
I wake up at six o'clock.
I have breakfast at half past six.
I go to school at seven o'clock.
I eat my lunch at one o'clock.
I go to bed at eight o'clock.
Now say your own times. Ask a big person what time you really wake up.
Tip
Past has gone by. To is not there yet
Straight down at the bottom: half past.
Quarter past six comes after six. Quarter to six comes before six.
Move your arm round while you say it.
Do each one out loud, then tap Show answer to check.
The long hand points straight down. What do you say?
Answer: half past. The long hand has gone half of the way round.
Uwase wakes up at six o'clock and eats at half past six. Which one comes first?
Answer: six o'clock. Half past six comes after it.
Is quarter to seven before seven o'clock or after it?
Answer: before. To means the long hand is still going to the top.
It is half past nine. Which hand is at the bottom?
Answer: the long hand. The short hand is a little after 9.
Say what time you go to school.
Answer: your own time. Mugisha says: I go to school at half past seven.
What you learned today
Quick check
Long hand straight down, short hand after 6. What time is it?
