What Time Is It?
Telling the time & scheduling. A busy Tuesday for Maya — video calls, doctor's appointments, lunch with Leo, and a 5 PM call to Taiwan.
📖 Reading: A Busy Tuesday for Maya
On Tuesday, Maya has a very busy schedule. She writes all her appointments in her planner.
At eight o'clock in the morning, she has a video call with Jess in New York.
At half past nine, she goes for a walk in the park near her apartment.
At a quarter to twelve, she has a doctor's appointment.
At twelve o'clock — midday — she meets Leo for lunch at the coffee shop.
In the afternoon, at two thirty, she has a meeting with a client online.
At five o'clock, the work day finishes. She calls her mother in Taiwan.
"Taiwan is thirteen hours ahead," she reminds herself. "So when it is 5 PM here, it is 6 AM there tomorrow!"
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson. Each word includes its meaning and an example sentence.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| appointment | A planned meeting at a specific time | n. — She has a doctor's appointment. |
| midday | Twelve o'clock in the middle of the day | n. — They meet at midday. |
| midnight | Twelve o'clock at night | n. — She never works after midnight. |
| ahead | In the future; further forward in time | adv. — Taiwan is thirteen hours ahead. |
| remind | To help someone remember something | v. — She reminds herself of the time difference. |
| client | A person who pays for a professional service | n. — She has a meeting with a client. |
| timetable | A plan that shows times of events or activities | n. — Look at the school timetable. |
| schedule | A plan listing events and their times | n. — Maya writes in her schedule. |
📚 Key Verbs in This Lesson | |
to tell the time | What time is it? It is half past nine. |
to meet (at a time) | She meets Leo at twelve o'clock. |
to start / finish | Work finishes at five o'clock. / Class starts at nine. |
to call | She calls her mother at five o'clock. |
📚 Grammar Focus
Telling the Time
📚 Telling the Time | |
9:00 | nine o'clock / 9 AM or 9 PM |
9:15 | quarter past nine / nine fifteen |
9:30 | half past nine / nine thirty |
9:45 | quarter to ten / nine forty-five |
12:00 | midday (PM) / midnight (AM) |
Time Expressions with AT
📚 Time Expressions with AT | |
At + exact time | The meeting is at two thirty. |
At + special time | at noon, at midnight, at lunchtime |
In the morning/afternoon/evening | I work in the morning. |
What time...? | "What time is the meeting?" → "At two thirty." |
🎭 Dialogue: Let's Make a Plan!
Leo wants to make plans with Maya for Tuesday. They check schedules and agree on lunch at midday + coffee at four.
Maya, are you free on Tuesday?
Let me check. I have a video call at eight o'clock and a doctor's appointment at quarter to twelve.
What about lunchtime? Are you free at midday?
Yes! I am free at twelve o'clock. Let's meet at the coffee shop!
Perfect. And in the afternoon?
I have a client meeting at two thirty. I finish at about four o'clock.
So: lunch at twelve, coffee at four?
Deal! See you at noon!
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What time is Maya's video call with Jess?
What does Maya do at half past nine?
What time do Maya and Leo meet for lunch?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
3:15 = ___
11:30 = ___
Half past four = ___
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model.
- Student A: You want to make plans with your partner for next week. Suggest 3 times.
- Student B: Check your imaginary schedule. Accept or suggest a different time.
- Use: Are you free at…? / I have a … at … / Let's meet at … / That works for me!