Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour
After learning to tell time at the hour (o'clock), children in Class 1 learn to read the half hour. When the minute hand points to 6 (the bottom of the clock), it shows half past the hour.
Knowing both o'clock and half past helps children read the most common times on a clock.
What is Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour - Class 1 Maths (Time (Grade 1))?
On the hour (o'clock): The minute hand (long hand) points to 12. The hour hand (short hand) points to the hour number.
Half past: The minute hand (long hand) points to 6. The hour hand (short hand) is between two numbers — halfway past the current hour.
Long hand at 12 = o'clock | Long hand at 6 = half past
Solved Examples
Example 1: Example 1: O'Clock
Question: The short hand points to 4 and the long hand points to 12. What time is it?
Answer: It is 4 o'clock.
Example 2: Example 2: Half Past
Question: The long hand points to 6 and the short hand is between 2 and 3. What time is it?
Answer: It is half past 2 (or 2:30).
Example 3: Example 3: Draw Half Past 5
Question: Ria wants to draw a clock showing half past 5. Where should the hands be?
Answer: Long hand at 6, short hand between 5 and 6.
Example 4: Example 4: Snack Time
Question: Dev has his snack at half past 4. The long hand should point to which number?
Answer: The long hand should point to 6.
Example 5: Example 5: O'Clock or Half Past?
Question: The long hand points to 12. Is it o'clock or half past?
Answer: It is o'clock (an exact hour).
Example 6: Example 6: Morning Routine
Question: Aman wakes up at 6 o'clock and takes the school bus at half past 7. How long does he take to get ready?
Think:
- 6 o'clock to 7 o'clock = 1 hour
- 7 o'clock to half past 7 = half an hour
- Total = 1 hour and 30 minutes
Answer: Aman takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to get ready.
Example 7: Example 7: Which Comes First?
Question: Which time comes first — 3 o'clock or half past 2?
Think:
- Half past 2 = 2:30
- 3 o'clock = 3:00
- 2:30 comes before 3:00
Answer: Half past 2 comes first.
Key Points to Remember
- O'clock: long hand at 12, short hand at the hour number.
- Half past: long hand at 6, short hand between two numbers.
- Half past means 30 minutes after the hour.
- There are 30 minutes between o'clock and half past.
- The short hand moves slowly — at half past, it is between two numbers.
Practice Problems
- Draw a clock showing half past 3.
- What time is it when the long hand points to 6 and the short hand is between 8 and 9?
- Is it o'clock or half past when the long hand points to 12?
- Priya eats dinner at half past 7. Where does the long hand point?
- Which comes first: 5 o'clock or half past 4?
- How many minutes are there from 2 o'clock to half past 2?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What does half past mean?
Half past means 30 minutes after the hour. The minute hand points to 6, which is halfway around the clock.
Q2. Where does the short hand point at half past?
At half past, the short hand (hour hand) is between two numbers — halfway between the current hour and the next hour.
Q3. How many minutes is half an hour?
Half an hour is 30 minutes. A full hour has 60 minutes, so half of 60 is 30.
Q4. What is the difference between o'clock and half past?
At o'clock, the minute hand points to 12 (0 minutes past). At half past, the minute hand points to 6 (30 minutes past).
Q5. How do I draw half past 6?
Draw the long hand pointing to 6. Draw the short hand between 6 and 7 (not exactly on 6, but slightly past it).
Q6. What time comes after half past?
After half past, the next exact time children learn is the next o'clock. For example, after half past 3, the next hour is 4 o'clock.
