Telling Time to Exact Minutes
In earlier classes, you learned to tell time to the nearest 5 minutes. In Class 4, you will learn to read a clock to the exact minute.
This means reading times like 3:17, 8:42, or 11:03 — not just 3:15 or 8:40.
What is Telling Time to Exact Minutes - Class 4 Maths (Time)?
An analogue clock has two main hands:
- Hour hand (short hand): Points to the hour. It moves slowly from one number to the next.
- Minute hand (long hand): Points to the minutes. It moves around the full clock face in 60 minutes.
The clock face is divided into 60 small divisions (minute marks). Each small mark = 1 minute. The numbers 1 to 12 mark every 5 minutes.
Telling Time to Exact Minutes Formula
Each number on the clock = 5 minutes
12 → 0 min, 1 → 5 min, 2 → 10 min, 3 → 15 min, ... 11 → 55 min
To read the exact time:
- Read the hour — which number has the short hand passed most recently?
- Read the minutes — count the small marks from 12, clockwise, to where the long hand points.
Types and Properties
Key time terms:
| Time Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| O'clock | Minute hand on 12 | 4:00 → 4 o'clock |
| Quarter past | 15 minutes past the hour | 4:15 → quarter past 4 |
| Half past | 30 minutes past the hour | 4:30 → half past 4 |
| Quarter to | 15 minutes before the next hour | 4:45 → quarter to 5 |
| ___ minutes past | Minutes after the hour (1-30) | 4:22 → 22 minutes past 4 |
| ___ minutes to | Minutes before the next hour (31-59) | 4:50 → 10 minutes to 5 |
Solved Examples
Example 1: Example 1: Reading exact minutes
Problem: The hour hand is between 7 and 8. The minute hand points to the 3rd small mark after the number 4. What time is it?
Solution:
Step 1: Hour hand past 7 → the hour is 7.
Step 2: Number 4 = 20 minutes. Three more marks = 20 + 3 = 23 minutes.
Answer: The time is 7:23.
Example 2: Example 2: Writing time from a description
Problem: It is 14 minutes past 9. Write the time.
Solution:
Step 1: Hour = 9. Minutes = 14.
Answer: The time is 9:14.
Example 3: Example 3: Minutes to the next hour
Problem: The time is 5:48. How many minutes until 6 o'clock?
Solution:
Step 1: From 5:48 to 6:00 = 60 − 48 = 12 minutes.
Answer: 12 minutes until 6 o'clock. We can also say it is "12 minutes to 6."
Example 4: Example 4: Reading 'minutes to'
Problem: Aman's watch shows 8:52. Express this as "minutes to" the next hour.
Solution:
Step 1: Minutes to 9:00 = 60 − 52 = 8 minutes.
Answer: 8:52 = 8 minutes to 9.
Example 5: Example 5: Drawing hands on a clock
Problem: Draw the clock hands to show 2:37.
Solution:
Step 1: Hour hand — between 2 and 3 (closer to 3 since 37 minutes is past half).
Step 2: Minute hand — 37 minutes. 7 × 5 = 35 minutes (at number 7) + 2 more small marks = 37.
Answer: The minute hand points to the 2nd mark past 7. The hour hand is between 2 and 3, closer to 3.
Example 6: Example 6: Converting 'past' and 'to'
Problem: Write 25 minutes to 11 in digital format.
Solution:
Step 1: 25 minutes to 11 means 25 minutes before 11:00.
Step 2: 11:00 − 25 minutes = 10:35.
Answer: 10:35.
Example 7: Example 7: School bell problem
Problem: Priya's school bell rings at 8:45 AM. She reaches school at 8:38 AM. How many minutes early is she?
Solution:
Step 1: From 8:38 to 8:45 = 45 − 38 = 7 minutes.
Answer: Priya is 7 minutes early.
Example 8: Example 8: Counting minute marks
Problem: The minute hand is on the 6th small mark after the number 9. How many minutes past the hour?
Solution:
Step 1: Number 9 = 9 × 5 = 45 minutes.
Step 2: 45 + 6 = 51 minutes.
Answer: The minute hand shows 51 minutes past the hour.
Example 9: Example 9: Real-life schedule
Problem: Dev's bus arrives at 7:22 AM. He leaves home at 7:13 AM. The walk to the bus stop takes 6 minutes. Will he reach on time?
Solution:
Step 1: He leaves at 7:13 and walks for 6 minutes → arrives at bus stop at 7:19 AM.
Step 2: Bus arrives at 7:22. 7:19 < 7:22.
Answer: Yes, Dev reaches the bus stop 3 minutes before the bus arrives.
Key Points to Remember
- An analogue clock has 60 small marks for 60 minutes.
- Each number (1 to 12) represents 5 minutes.
- Read the hour from the short hand and minutes from the long hand.
- From 1 to 30 minutes → use "minutes past" the hour.
- From 31 to 59 minutes → use "minutes to" the next hour.
- Quarter past = 15 min, Half past = 30 min, Quarter to = 45 min past.
- To find "minutes to": subtract the current minutes from 60.
Practice Problems
- The minute hand is on the 2nd mark past number 6. The hour hand is between 3 and 4. What time is it?
- Write '18 minutes to 12' in digital format.
- How many minutes are there from 9:27 to 10:00?
- Draw the hands on a clock to show 5:43.
- Express 11:52 as 'minutes to' the next hour.
- Aditi's dance class starts at 4:15 PM and she arrives at 4:08 PM. How early is she?
- The minute hand points to the 4th mark after number 10. What minute does it show?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do you tell time to the exact minute on a clock?
Count the small marks from 12 clockwise to where the minute hand points. Each mark is 1 minute. The numbers represent multiples of 5 minutes.
Q2. What is the difference between 'past' and 'to'?
'Past' means after the hour (used for 1-30 minutes). 'To' means before the next hour (used for 31-59 minutes). For example, 3:20 is '20 past 3' and 3:50 is '10 to 4'.
Q3. Why does the hour hand move between numbers?
The hour hand moves slowly and continuously. At 4:30, it is halfway between 4 and 5. At 4:45, it is three-quarters of the way to 5.
Q4. How many minutes does the minute hand take to go around once?
The minute hand completes one full rotation in 60 minutes (1 hour).
Q5. What does 'quarter past' mean?
Quarter past means 15 minutes after the hour. A quarter of 60 minutes is 15 minutes. Quarter past 3 = 3:15.
Q6. What does 'half past' mean?
Half past means 30 minutes after the hour. Half of 60 minutes is 30 minutes. Half past 6 = 6:30.
Q7. How do you convert 'minutes to' to digital time?
Subtract the minutes from the next hour. '20 minutes to 8' means 8:00 − 20 minutes = 7:40.
Q8. What is a digital clock vs an analogue clock?
A digital clock shows time as numbers (e.g., 3:47). An analogue clock has a round face with hands that point to the hour and minute. Both show the same time.
