Lesson 15 : Date and Time

Lesson on Date and Time

Understanding Dates

1. Days of the Week:
   • Monday
   • Tuesday
   • Wednesday
   • Thursday
   • Friday
   • Saturday
   • Sunday
2. Months of the Year:
   • January
   • February
   • March
   • April
   • May
   • June
   • July
   • August
   • September
   • October
   • November
   • December
3. Date Format:
   • In American English: Month/Day/Year (e.g., July 4, 2024)
   • In British English: Day/Month/Year (e.g., 4 July 2024)

Understanding Time

1. Hours and Minutes:
   • 24-Hour Clock: 00:00 to 23:59 (e.g., 13:45 is 1:45 PM)
   • 12-Hour Clock: 1:00 AM to 12:59 PM and 1:00 PM to 12:59 AM (e.g., 1:45 PM)
2. Common Phrases:
   • o’clock: Used for whole hours (e.g., 3:00 is “three o’clock”)
   • Quarter past: 15 minutes past the hour (e.g., 3:15 is “quarter past three”)
   • Half past: 30 minutes past the hour (e.g., 3:30 is “half past three”)
   • Quarter to: 15 minutes before the hour (e.g., 3:45 is “quarter to four”)

Practical Examples

1. Asking for the Date:
   • Formal: “Could you please tell me the date?”
   • Informal: “What’s the date today?”

   Response:

   • “Today is July 4, 2024.” (American English)
   • “Today is the 4th of July, 2024.” (British English)
2. Giving the Date:
   • Formal: “The event is scheduled for the 5th of October, 2024.”
   • Informal: “It’s on October 5th.”
3. Asking for the Time:
   • Formal: “Could you please tell me the time?”
   • Informal: “What time is it?”

   Response:

   • “It is 3:45 PM.”
4. Giving the Time:
   • Formal: “The meeting starts at 9:00 AM.”
   • Informal: “It’s at 9 in the morning.”

Practice Conversations

1. Conversation About Date:
   • Person A: “Do you know what the date is today?”
   • Person B: “Yes, it’s June 26, 2024.”
2. Conversation About Time:
   • Person A: “Excuse me, do you have the time?”
   • Person B: “Sure, it’s half past four.”
3. Setting an Appointment:
   • Person A: “Can we meet next Friday?”
   • Person B: “Yes, that would be June 30th.”
4. Discussing an Event:
   • Person A: “When is the concert?”
   • Person B: “It’s on August 15th at 7:00 PM.”

Tips for Remembering

• Practice regularly by noting the date and time in your diary.
• Use a calendar to familiarize yourself with months and days.
• Practice asking and answering questions about the date and time with a friend or in front of a mirror.
• Listen to how native speakers talk about date and time in movies, shows, or everyday conversations.

Understanding and using dates and times correctly is crucial for effective communication. With practice, you will become more confident in both asking and giving this information.

Activity: Practicing Dates and Times

Objective:

To reinforce the understanding and usage of dates and times in English through practical exercises and role-playing.

Materials Needed:

• Printed calendar
• A clock or a watch with both 12-hour and 24-hour displays
• Worksheets with date and time exercises

Activity Steps:

1. Warm-Up (5 minutes):
   • Start with a quick review of the days of the week and months of the year (Seen above).
   • Try to say today’s date in both American and British formats.
2. Calendar Exercise (10 minutes):
   • Take a printed calendar.
   • Mark important dates (e.g., anniversaries, holidays) and practice saying them out loud.

Example: “My birthday is on the 14th of November.” or “Christmas is on December 25th.”

1. Time-Telling Practice (10 minutes):
   • Look at different times on a clock and try to say the each outloud.
   • Include examples using “o’clock,” “quarter past,” “half past,” and “quarter to.”

Example: choose 7:15 and ask, “What time is it?” Expected answer: “It’s quarter past seven.” 6:45 – quarter to seven.

1. Worksheet Activity (15 minutes):
   • Hand out worksheets with various exercises on dates and times.
   • Exercises can include:
     • Matching dates to events.
     • Converting 24-hour clock times to 12-hour clock times.
     • Writing sentences using given dates and times.
   • Example question: “Write the date in British English: 03/14/2024.” Expected answer: “14 March 2024.”
2. Role-Playing Scenarios (15 minutes):

Example Scenario: “You are scheduling a meeting with a colleague. Decide on the date and time.”

1. • • Student A: “Can we meet next Thursday?”
     • Student B: “Sure, what time?”
     • Student A: “How about 10:30 in the morning?”
2.  Discussion (10 minutes):
   • Please share any challenges you faced and how you overcame them. (whatsapp group)
3. Homework Assignment:
   • Keep a diary for one week, noting the date and time of key activities.
   • Example: “June 27th, 8:00 AM – Breakfast,” “June 27th, 3:00 PM – Meeting with Sarah.”
   • Practice saying these dates and times out loud.

By the end of this activity, you should feel more comfortable and confident in asking for and giving dates and times in English.

See the lesson on numbers to watch video lessons about dates and times.