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Madhulk Posted 18 years ago
Vocabulary
it's ten of 5.00
Okay, so I know many ways to answer the question "What's the time/What time is it". For example: It's 10 to five (16:50) or 50 past 16. But can someone tell me what does "ten of 5.00" (it's ten of 5.00) mean? Is it 10 to 5 or 10 past 5 and what does this "of" doing in the middle?
Top answer
Hi, As a native British English speaker I have to say I have never heard this expression before, and I wonder if the person you heard it from made a mistake. Seonaid
- Hi, As a native British English speaker I have to say I have never heard this expression before, and I wonder if the person you heard it from made a mistake.
- Seonaid
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19 Answers
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Hi,
As a native British English speaker I have to say I have never heard this expression before, and I wonder if the person you heard it from made a mistake.
Seonaid
As a native British English speaker I have to say I have never heard this expression before, and I wonder if the person you heard it from made a mistake.
Seonaid
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It's common in the US to say "It's ten of..." in addition to "It's ten to..."
If it's 16:50, then it's ten of five.
If it's 16:50, then it's ten of five.
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Grammar GeekIt's common in the US to say "It's ten of..." in addition to "It's ten to..."Pronunciations that are common: ten-da-five (ten to five); ten-a-five (ten of five).
If it's 16:50, then it's ten of five.
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Yes, it's common in the U.S. to say "it's ten of five", meaning "ten minutes before five o'clock" -- but don't worry about why we say it that way, or the meaning of the "of" -- you'll only get a headache! Just accept it as an idiom.
(I've been saying it all my life, and now, suddenly, it seems ridiculously strange to me. It almost sounds as if it means "ten, selected from a group
(I've been saying it all my life, and now, suddenly, it seems ridiculously strange to me. It almost sounds as if it means "ten, selected from a group
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Thanks guys, you're so cool!
I was just wondering since that has been one of the differences between US & British English, then is there another way for saying 17:10 (10 past 5)? I mean like the thing with 10 of 5...
P. S. By the way, I heard that (10 of 5) from Goal 2: Living the Dream.
I was just wondering since that has been one of the differences between US & British English, then is there another way for saying 17:10 (10 past 5)? I mean like the thing with 10 of 5...
P. S. By the way, I heard that (10 of 5) from Goal 2: Living the Dream.
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But ...
I don't believe they say '50 past 16' anywhere in the world. Besides the point that '50' is in the 'to' half of the clock, 'to' 'from' or 'of' are not used at all with the 24 hour clock system anyway, only with the traditional one.
I don't believe they say '50 past 16' anywhere in the world. Besides the point that '50' is in the 'to' half of the clock, 'to' 'from' or 'of' are not used at all with the 24 hour clock system anyway, only with the traditional one.
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Nona's right -- "50 past 16" is not used. If I saw it out of context, I would be more likely to think it described someone who was 66 years old than a way to refer to "ten minutes before 5 p.m."
then is there another way for saying 17:10 (10 past 5)? I mean like the thing with 10 of 5...
First, in the U.S. the 24-hour clock is a
then is there another way for saying 17:10 (10 past 5)? I mean like the thing with 10 of 5...
First, in the U.S. the 24-hour clock is a
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Um, we say "ten after five." Or, if the time is already pretty well known, just "ten after."
"Oh no, I'm late! Is it five o'clock yet?"
"Yep. Five after."
I feel silly introducing this as a substitute for "ten past," but then I had NO IDEA they didn't say "ten of" outside the US, so I wish to be as helpful as possible.
And yes, khoff, now I feel that "ten of
"Oh no, I'm late! Is it five o'clock yet?"
"Yep. Five after."
I feel silly introducing this as a substitute for "ten past," but then I had NO IDEA they didn't say "ten of" outside the US, so I wish to be as helpful as possible.
And yes, khoff, now I feel that "ten of
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0 Could you please show me a website that teaches how to tell the time in US English? I've come across this US based site and it doesn't mention the 'of' version. Maybe it's not that popular even in the US after all? 02 br
05 0 00 0240href http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/bltime.htm
05 0 00 0240href http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/bltime.htm
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