Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 1

Unit 6 • Lesson B: What time is it?

Vocabulary
Asking and saying the time
What time . . . ?
What time is it?
It's 10:00 a.m.
It's 2:00 p.m.
It's (eleven) o'clock.
It's (five) after (two).
It's a quarter after (two).
It's ten-thirty.
It's a quarter to (nine).
It's six-forty-five.
It's (ten) to (nine).
It's midnight.
It's noon.

Time expressions
about (seven o'clock)
around (seven o'clock)
at (five) o'clock
tomorrow night

Free time
art exhibit (n)
event (n)
jazz concert (n)
play (n)
seat (n)
soccer match (n)

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 6, Lesson B, Page 1

Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 1

Other words
free (adj)
finish work / school (v)
go to bed (v)
leave work / school (v)
start (v)

Grammar
Asking questions about time
You can ask the time like this:

What time is it?

You can use What time do / does . . . ? to ask what time something happens.

Use does with a singular noun:

What time does the concert start?

Use do with a plural noun:

What time do supermarkets close?

Use do with you:

What time do you go out at night?

Answering questions about time

Use It's to say the time:

A What time is it?

B It's 6:30.

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 6, Lesson B, Page 2

Touchstone 2nd Edition • Language summary • Level 1
Use at to give times:

A What time does the concert start?

B It starts at nine o'clock.

Use about or at about to give approximate times ("approximate" means not exact):

A What time do supermarkets close?

B They close (at) about 10:00 p.m.

You can also use around to give approximate times:

A What time do you go out at night?

B Usually around 8:00 or 8:30.

Remember, after he, she, it the verb ends in -s:

I / You / We / They start . . .

He/ She / It starts . . .

Suggestions with Let's

A suggestion is an idea to do something. You can use Let's + verb to make a suggestion:

Let’s go to the concert.

Let's meet at 6:45.

Let's get there early.

You can use That sounds . . . to agree with a Let's . . . suggestion:

That sounds like fun.

© Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 6, Lesson B, Page 3