Quarter Past And Quarter To - Maths - Learning With BBC Bitesize

What is quarter past?

When the minute hand of a clock (the longer hand) moves from 12 and travels a quarter of the way around the clock to point at the 3, it means it’s quarter past the hour.

The hour hand (the shorter hand) also moves a little. When it’s quarter past, you can see the hour hand is just past the number.

So, if the minute hand points to 3 and the hour hand is a little past 8, you can say it’s quarter past 8.

What is quarter to?

When the minute hand moves from 12 and travels three-quarters of the way around to point at the 9, it means it’s quarter to the next hour.

The hour hand moves too and you can see it’s almost at the next number.

For example, if the minute hand is at 9 and the hour hand is just before 9, you can say it’s quarter to 9.

Quiz: Quarter past and quarter to

Test out your knowledge of reading time with this quiz, then read on to complete the page.

Quarter past the hour

Quarter past means 15 minutes after the hour.

Each number on the clock is worth 5 minutes, so when the minute hand moves from one number to the next, 5 minutes have passed.

When the minute hand points to the 3, 3 lots of 5 minutes have passed. That’s 15 minutes or a quarter of an hour.

For example, quarter past 2 means it’s 15 minutes after 2 o’clock, or 2:15.

This clock shows the time is quarter past 2.

Quarter past 2 can also be described as 15 minutes past 2.

Quarter to the hour

Quarter to means it’s 15 minutes before the next hour.

When the minute hand points to the 9, it shows there’s a quarter of the hour left.

For example, quarter to 6 means it’s 15 minutes before 6 o’clock, or 5:45.

This clock reads quarter to 6.

Quarter to can also be described as15 minutes to 6.

Example 1

What time does this clock show?

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✓ The time shown on the clock is quarter past 6.

To read the time on the clock, first look at the hour hand. The hour hand is the shorter hand. It is between 6 and 7, but it is closer to 6.

Next, look at the minute hand. That's the longer hand.

It points to 3, which means it has gone a quarter of the way around the clock, so it is quarter past.

This tells you it is quarter past 6.

Example 2

What time does this clock show?

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✓ The time shown on the clock is quarter to 1.

To read the time on the clock, first look at the hour hand. The hour hand is the shorter hand. It is between 12 and 1, but it is closer to 1.

Next, look at the minute hand. That's the longer hand.

It points to 9, which means it has gone three quarters of the way around the clock, so it is quarter to.

This tells you it is quarter to 1.

Example 3

This clock shows quarter past 4 or 4:15.

Using the phrases 'quarter to' or 'quarter past' to answer these questions:

• What time is it one hour after quarter past 4?
• What time is it one hour before quarter past 4?
• What time is it half an hour after quarter past 4?
• What time is it half an hour before quarter past 4?

Show answer

✓ Here are the answers:

• One hour after quarter past 4 is quarter past 5.

• One hour before quarter past 4 is quarter past 3.

• Half an hour after quarter past 4 is quarter to 5.

• Half an hour before quarter past 4 is quarter to 4.

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More on Time

Find out more by working through a topic

• Chronological order

  • count1 of 7
  

• Measuring time

  • count2 of 7
  

• O’clock

  • count3 of 7
  

• Half past

  • count4 of 7