Let’s go step by step to understand how to tell time using “past” and “to”.
First, remember:
- When the minute hand is on the right side of the clock (from 12 to 6), we say “... past ...” — meaning minutes after the hour.
- When the minute hand is on the left side of the clock (from 6 to 12), we say “... to ...” — meaning minutes before the next hour.
Also:
- 15 minutes = a quarter
- 30 minutes = half
Now let’s look at each time given in the green box and match it with the correct phrase.
Left column (times from 6:00 to 6:30):
→ 6.00 → It’s six o’clock
(No minutes past or to — exactly on the hour)
→ 6.05 → 5 minutes after 6 → “five past six”
→ 6.10 → 10 minutes after 6 → “ten past six”
→ 6.15 → 15 minutes after 6 → “a quarter past six”
→ 6.20 → 20 minutes after 6 → “twenty past six”
→ 6.25 → 25 minutes after 6 → “twenty-five past six”
→ 6.30 → 30 minutes after 6 → “half past six”
Right column (times from 6:35 to 7:00):
→ 6.35 → That’s 25 minutes BEFORE 7 → “twenty-five to seven”
→ 6.40 → 20 minutes before 7 → “twenty to seven”
→ 6.45 → 15 minutes before 7 → “a quarter to seven”
→ 6.50 → 10 minutes before 7 → “ten to seven”
→ 6.55 → 5 minutes before 7 → “five to seven”
→ 7.00 → Exactly 7 → “seven o’clock”
All these match what’s written in the green boxes. So if you’re being asked to fill in or check these, they are all correct as shown.
Final Answer:
The times and their phrases are correctly matched as shown in the green section of the chart. For example:
6.00 = It’s six o’clock
6.05 = It’s five past six
6.10 = It’s ten past six
6.15 = It’s a quarter past six
6.20 = It’s twenty past six
6.25 = It’s twenty-five past six
6.30 = It’s half past six
6.35 = It’s twenty-five to seven
6.40 = It’s twenty to seven
6.45 = It’s a quarter to seven
6.50 = It’s ten to seven
6.55 = It’s five to seven
7.00 = It’s seven o’clock
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of esl telling time worksheet.
