When asked about time how to tell in correct spoken English?

Answer 1

British-English: For everyday speaking, this is the pattern/form and a few examples:- On the hour, e.g. 0900 hrs "It's nine o'clock." (It's = It is) At 1300 hrs: "It's one o'clock." At 2100 hrs: "It's nine o'clock." At 15 minutes past the hour e.g. 0915 hrs: "It's quarter past nine.", or "It's a quarter past nine." At 1315 hrs: "It's (a) quarter past one." At 30 minutes past the hour e.g. 0930 hrs: "It's half past nine." 1230 hrs: "It's half past twelve."

1330 hrs: "It's half past one." 2330 hrs: "It's half past eleven." At 45 minutes past the hour it is 'quarter to' the next hour. 0945: It's (a) quarter to ten. 1145: It's (a) quarter to twelve. 1245: It's (a) quarter to one. 0045: It's (a) quarter to one. At the other five minute intervals in the first half hour after the hour it is (minutes) 'past' the hour. e.g. 0905 hrs: It's five past nine. 1110 hrs: It's ten past eleven. At the five minute intervals in the second half of the hour it is (minutes) 'to' the next hour. 0835: It's twenty-five to nine. 0840: It's twenty to nine. 0850: It's ten to nine. 1155: It's five to twelve. 2355: It's five to twelve. For the other minutesit is usual to give just an approximate reply. 0906: It's just gone five past nine. (It's = It has) 0907: It's just gone five past nine. 0908: It's nearly ten past nine.(It's = It is.) 0959 and a few seconds…It's almost ten! or It's almost ten o'clock # When talking about timetables, schedules, programmes and official announcements the twenty-four hour clock system is often used. # In addition to the forms listed above there are other ways of saying what the time is, but for simplicity these have not been shown. The examples given are quite common in ordinary everyday British-English speech.