Grammar：Prepositions for telling time
【明報專訊】The Smarties are visiting a newly opened amusement park - Bunnieland. Which shows do they want to see?
Pat: Hurry up, Bill! (1) It is ten to eleven now! The Carrot Catwalk Show is starting in 10 minutes!
Bill: Calm down, Pat. I guess if we arrived at the venue now there would be no seats with a good view. Why don't we go to the three o'clock show and do something else first?
Pat: You're right... How about the Grassland Magic Circuit? (2) The next show kicks off at half past eleven and is one-hour long.
Bill: Sounds nice to me. How about you, MoMo?
MoMo: I want to feed the rabbits at the Happy Farm. (3) I think I will finish at twenty past two. (4) Shall we meet at the Carrot Catwalk Show at half past two?
Bill: Sounds perfect! See you soon and enjoy! ◆
When we talk about time, we count how many minutes before/ after a full hour.
to →
We use ''to'' to describe time before reaching a certain hour:
e.g. five to eleven = five minutes before eleven o'clock = 10:55
past →
We use ''past'' to descibe time after reaching a certain hour:
e.g. twenty past three = 20 minutes after three o'clock = 3:20
■Gear up
Write in numbers the times of the Smarties' schedule in Bunnieland.
(1) Grassland Magic Circuit
________________________________
(2) When will MoMo finish feeding the rabbits at Happy Farm?
________________________________
(3) Meet up at Carrot Catwalk Show
________________________________
Draw on the clocks below the correct times.
(See picture 2)
(4) A quarter past five
(5) Five minutes to six
(Answers on next text)
■Glossary
guess (v) 猜想
else (adj) 其他的
kick off (phr v) 開始
perfect (adj) 完美的
[Smarties' Power English 第278期]
