Lesson 3

What time is it?

Дээрх хичээлийн текстийг Read more дээр дарж цааш үргэлжлүүлэн үзнэ үү?

What time is it?

 Hello, And welcome again to living English. We will practice listening to and speaking English. In each program we look at the short drama then practice our English. So let’s watch today’s episode for drama sisters and brothers. In last episode Ann was in her hotel room but she was worried . Let’s see what happens next?

John: Hello, Barbour’s Private Investigation. John Barbour speaking.

Ann: Hello. Can you find missing people?

John: Sometimes we can. Have you lost somebody?

Ann: Yes.

John: Perhaps you’d like to tell me about it?

Ann: Can I make an appointment please?

John: When would you like to come in?

Ann: Is tomorrow okay?

John: Let’s see… Yes, I can see you at ten o’clock. Will that suit you?

Ann: Okay, thankyou. (consults business card)

23 Mitchell Street – is that right?

John: That’s right. Second floor.

Anne:Okay. See you then. Goodbye.

John: Goodbye.

He puts down the phone and celebrates.

In her hotel room, Anne puts the phone down, and rings again.

Clerk: Hello?

Ann: Hello. Reception? What time is it please?

Clerk: It’s five o’clock.

Ann: And what time do you serve dinner?

Clerk: The restaurant opens in an hour, and dinner is served between six and nine pm.

Ann: And breakfast?

Clerk: Breakfast is served between seven and nine thirty am ma’am.

Ann: Thankyou.

Clerk: You’re welcome.

Ann puts the phone down, then notices the photo by her bed and picks it up again. There is a tear in her eye.

I wonder what’s wrong with Ann. You will have to  watch the next episode to find out. In that episode we saw Ann use the phone to make an appointment. Let’s listen again.

John: Perhaps you’d like to tell me about it?

Ann: Can I make an appointment please?

John: When would you like to come in?

Ann: Is tomorrow okay?

John: Let’s see… Yes, I can see you at ten o’clock. Will that suit you?

First Ann asks for an appointment or a meeting.

Can I make an  appointment please?

Now try saying it yourself with the clip.

Can I make an  appointment please?

Now listen to what John says.

When would you like to come in?

He asks when, he wants to know what time is best? Now practice saying it with the clip.

When would you like to come in?

What day does Ann wants to come in?

 Is tomorrow ok?

“Tomorrow” is the next day or the day after today. If today is the Monday, tomorrow is Tuesday. The day before today is called “Yesterday”. So what time is Ann’s appointment?

Let’s see… Yes, I can see you at ten o’clock.

10 o’clock. We put o’clock after the number of the hour. 10 o’clock is exactly at ten. Not after or before. Listen again and try it yourself.

Let’s see… Yes, I can see you at ten o’clock.

John said I can see you, he can see Ann tomorrow because he has that time free. He is not doing anything else. Notice also that we say “At” before time. But where will an appointment be?

23 Mitchell Street – is that right? 

That’s right. Second floor.

The address is 23 Mitchell Street. That’s way Ann has to go. She has to find that building tomorrow and look for John’s office on second floor. She will have to take a lift or walk upstairs to get to the second floor. In our last episode we looked at how saying the word “Will” before word such as: You or I is used in questions. Will I ? will you? This week the word “Can” was said before I and You make questions.

“Can I, can you?” listen to the words can you in this clip.

Hello. Can you find missing people?

Saying can before you makes a question. Listen now what can is used before the word I.

Can I make an appointment please?

So which one of these is a question? Can comes before the word I. Can I make an appointment ? is a question.

Say it at home. Notice also way we say it.

Can I make an appointment?

I  can make an appointment.

I can make an appointment. Is saying I’m able to making an appointment. Try saying it at home.

I can make an appointment.

Now listen for can being used after “I” in a same way here.

Yes, I can see you at ten o’clock. Will that suit you?

John says I can see you at ten o’clock.

He asks another question. He asks will that suit you?

He means is that time all right for you as well? Ann agrees ten o’clock is the best time. Listen to how she agrees.

 I’ll see you then, goodbye

Ann said I’ll see you then. We say then for anytime it’s not now.10 o’clock tomorrow in the future. Remember our previous episode that we use the word will to talk about the future. Ann use the quick way of saying I will – I’ll. Practice saying I’ll see you then with the clip

I’ll see you then

- And you can see Michelle right now. Hello Michelle

- Hello Brenton Hello everyone

- What would we look at today?

- We will look at words to do with time and clocks like this. First let’s listen to the clerk telling Ann what time it is.

Hello. Reception?

What time is it please?

It’s five o’clok.

- She says that the time is five o’clock. So it is exactly five. Not before five and not after five. What time is it in the studio Brenton?

- It’s half fast eight.

- Half past half …… half of what?

- Half is half of one hour. An hour is 60 minutes so half an hour is 30 minutes. 30 minutes past 8 o’clock.

- Half past eight is the same as eight thirty.

- Let’s go back to our story. Remember that Ann has found out that it is five o’clock. What time is dinner?

The restaurant opens in an hour, and dinner is served between six and nine pm.

Michelle: In an hour means one hour form now. One hour in the future. Practice these. You could say I’ll see you in five minutes,

Two days. I ‘ll see you in 2 days

A week. I’ll see you in a week.

They all mean I’ll see you in the future. In five minutes, 2 days or a week from now. So if it’s 5 o’clock now and restaurant opens in an hour what time does the restaurant open? It opens at 6 o’clock. Now here is another question. What time is the restaurant open until. Listen again.

Dinner is served between six and nine pm.

If dinner is served between six and nine then it is served until 9pm and when is dinner served from?

Dinner is served between six and nine pm.

So they start serving dinner at six dinner is served from 6 until 9. What about breakfast?

Breakfast is served between seven and nine thirty am ma’am.

She said Breakfast is served between 7:00 am and 9:30am. So what time the breakfast served from?

Breakfast is served from 7:00 am

They start serving breakfast at 7:00 am and what time did they finish serving breakfast? They serve breakfast until 9:30 am. So they finish serving breakfast at nine thirty or half past nine. Of course we know it is the morning because they are serving breakfast. But what we also know she says “am” after the time. We say “am” time between midnight and midday. Midnight is 12 am and midday is 12 pm. Let’s practice. Use “am” or “pm” with these times.

1:00 o’clock in the morning is - 1:00am

4:00 o’cock in the afternoon is - 4 pm

Let’s do more time on the clock

- What time is this Brenton?

- Quarter past eight- fifteen minutes is a quarter of an hour. We could say eight fifteen too.

- What about this time?

- That is a quarter to nine

- it’s not three quarters past eight?

- No we don’t say that. We say a quarter to nine.

- So you say “Past” for any of the minutes in this side of the clock and “To” for the ones on this side.

- Yes, that’s right.

- The other way of saying time is always the hour and a  number of minutes after it.

- Yes, we can say a quarter to nine or eight forty-five.

- Ok, What’s this time?

- That’s twenty to nine or eight forty.

- Now it’s your turn. What’s this time? It’s ten to nine or eight fifty. What’s this time? It is ten past eight or eight ten.

It’s also time for us to go.

- I hope you can watch our next program. It’s all about how to ask questions.  So until then, see you later.