Topic: Dialogue between you and your teacher requesting him to teach how

to tell the time.

Suri: Hello sir! Good morning. Could you please teach me how to read time from the clock? I don’t
like to ask the time to my mom every time to know whether my favorite tv show is going to start
now or not.

Teacher: Good morning dear! Yes, sure I can teach you how to read the clock. It is very important to
know how to read time from the clock not just to watch tv shows but also to be punctual in life.

Suri: Thank you sir! I’m really excited to learn how to read the clock today. I hope it’s going to be
fun!

Teacher: Yes, it’s going to be interesting to learn. So now look at the wall clock and tell me what do
you see there?

Suri: I see digits from 1 to 12 around the clock along with three sticks attached in the center of the
clock.

Teacher: Yes, you’re right! And these three sticks have different names. Those are called a second
hand, a minute hand and an hour hand. The fastest moving hand you see is called the second hand!
It takes 60 seconds to go right around the clock which makes 1 minute.

Suri: Wow! That’s interesting. And what are the purposes of other two hands, sir?

Teacher: I’m happy to see your curiosity to learn, Suri. Well, now notice the biggest hand of the clock
which is called, minute hand. It takes one complete turn of the clock in 1 hour.

Suri: Ok sir! I can see some little lines in between the digits on the clock. What do those lines mean?

Teacher: Good question, Suri! You can see 12 digits marked on the clock. It is divided into 60 small
divisions by drawing tiny lines and each of these small divisions indicates 1 minute. When the minute
hand moves from one number to another, it covers 5 minutes. And when the minute hand takes one
complete round across the 12 number, it completes 1 hour. Now you know each of the digits have 5
minutes division between them. That means 12X5 minutes for each division makes 60 minutes.

Suri: Ok sir! I understood all these but how to tell the time now just by looking at the clock, sir?

Teacher: Ok! Look at the wall clock now and tell me where the hour hand and minute hand pointing
at?

Suri: The hour hand is pointing at 10 and the minute hand is pointing at 8.

Teacher: So, to know how many minutes passed 10 ‘O’ clock it is, we need to find the number of
divisions the minute hand covered to reach the digit 8. Now tell me if the minute hand is at 8, how
many minutes have gone past?

Suri: Well, it is 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, then 20 minutes.. and it is 40 minutes,
sir!

Teacher: Exactly! So, when the hour hand is at 10 and minutes hands at 8, the time is read as 40
minutes passed 10 ‘O’ clock. To makes it easier to calculate you can simply multiply the minute hand
is at by 5 and you will have the minutes passed.
Suri: Multiply by 5? Oh yes! I understood. It is because the minutes hand has reached the 8 digit and
each digit is separated from next by 5 divisions or minutes.

Teacher: I appreciate your level of understanding, Suri! Ok now tell me, suppose the hour hand is at
8 and the minute hand is at 2 then how would you read the time?

Suri: Ok! Let me see, if the hour hand is at 8 so it is 8 ‘O’ clock and if the minute hand is at 2 that
means 10 minutes past 8 ‘O’ clock. Am I right, sir?

Teacher: Absolutely! Well done Suri! Now you know how to read the clock. You won’t have to ask
your mom to know the time anymore I hope.

Suri: Thank you so much for teaching me how to read the clock! It was fun learning with you, sir.

Teacher: Today’s class is over! Now you can go back home and surprise your mom by telling her the
time looking at your wall clock.

Suri: Yes sir! I’m sure my mom would be shocked to see I can read the clock now. See you tomorrow,
sir! Bye.

Teacher: Bye! See you tomorrow, Suri.