Telling time: A quarter past / to eleven

tinanam0102Do people nowadays still use "a quarter to eleven to mean 10:45"?

Yes. I find that it is very common.

tinanam010211:15

"It's eleven fifteen" or "It's 15 minutes past eleven" or "It's 15 minutes after eleven"

I prefer to say "It's eleven fifteen".

CJ

Hi CalifJim,

Thank you for your reply.

Could I ask if "a quarter to eleven" a British usage?

Are "It's eleven fifteen", "It's 15 minutes past eleven", "It's 15 minutes after eleven" all correct usage?

Regards,

Tinanam

Yes. You can also say "It's a quarter past" for 15 minutes.

In addition to "it's a quarter to," a uniquely American use (so I'm told) is "a quarter of." 10:45 is a quarter of, as well as a quarter to. In my experience, it's use less often with the actual hour and more often simply as "It's about a quater of" (presuming the person knows roughly what time it is and you don't need to say t

Hi,

I say, and hear quite commonly,

a quarter to eleven meaning 10:45

and

a quarter past eleven meaning 11:15

Clive

tinanam0102Could I ask if "a quarter to eleven" a British usage?

In speech (especially), I tend not to use "a"; I'd just say, for example, "it's quarter to eleven". In speech (though not so much in writing), the use of "a" feels slightly fussy or old-fashioned to me (though it doesn't leap out as a glaringly odd thing to say). I'm not sure if this is typi

Mr Wordythe use of "a" feels slightly fussy or old-fashioned to me

Hmm. The least fussy of all, to my ear, is commonly heard in the U.S.:

It's quarder d' lev'n.

Hi CalifJim, Clive, Grammar Greek and Mr. Wordy,

Thank you for your part of explanation contributed to this topic.

Have a wonderful day.

Thank you.

Tinanam

tinanam0102Have a wonderful day.

You, too!

CJ

thanks so much i have trouble reading the time

thanks but tell me the digets