WHAT TIME IS IT?   

               Instruments for measuring and indicating time are among the oldest human inventions

  SUNDIAL     the shadow shows the time. It was widely used in ancient times but it requires the

                                             sun to shine and doesn't work during the night.

  HOURGLASS     the sand moves slowly from the top half to the bottom in exactly one hour.

                                                   Magellan used 18 hourglasses on each ship for his circumnavigation in 1522.

                                                   And it was the job of a ship's page to turn the hourglasses.

 mecanichal CLOCKS       there are a lot of varieties of them

    it's twenty-eight minutes past four

                           it's almost half past four

                           the dial is the front part of the clock where the numbers and the hands are

                          hands : this clock has three hands, the little hand (hours), the big hand (minutes) and the second

                                        hand

   Cuckoo clock   a little wooden bird comes out every hour and imitates the call of the cuckoo.

                                                  it's a quarter to twelve

  a famous striking clock Big Ben, it sounds the hours on a bell. It's twenty to seven

  an alarm clock often makes an awful noise when it's time to wake up. It's seven o'clock

  a pendulum clock needs to be stationary (because of the pendulum). It's a quarter past seven

  a pocket watch   it's twenty five to twelve

  a platform clock at King's Cross station in London. Trains run according to the 24-hour clock

                          it's twenty five to one

 digital CLOCKS

   it's almost five o'clock

  this is a digital sundial, it uses light and shadow to 'write' the time in figures.

                        it's 3.25 pm (it can't be am because it doesn't work during the night)

                                 clockwise ( opposite anticlockwise ) in the same direction in which the hands of a clock move

                                the clock is low (en retard)            the clock is fast (en avance)

English exercise "Vocabulary : Time and hour" created by lili73 (16-10-2007) with The test builder
Click here to see the current stats of this English test


1. 'What time is it?' ' It's back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve by the grandfather clock '.
2. This clock has five hands and three back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve.
3. Tom has been working back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve to finish his work in time.
4. ' How can I shut the jar? ' ' Turn the lid back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve '.
5. The mantel clock says it is back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve .
6. I couldn't sleep very well last night, I was still awake when the clock back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve one.
7. If I could turn the clock back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve and do things differently, I would.
8. ' What time is it ? '- 'It's five past eleven' -' My wristwatch is back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve , I'll set it back '.
9. In summer we put the clocks back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve.
10. It has been a race against the back clock dials fast five to seven forward on clockwise round-the-clock struck ten past twelve to get to the station in time.