 There were about 

120,000 people at the gig. It was massive!

 We produce 342,876,288 cans of elephant food every year.
 I can’t leave until I’ve beaten Kat’s score of 12,073. I’m going to be here
all night.

Was I right?
Well, let’s see if you were right.

120,000 = “one hundred and twenty thousand” or “a hundred and twenty

thousand”
342,876,288 = “three hundred and forty-two million, eight hundred and seventy-
six thousand, two hundred and eighty-eight” (phew!)
12,073 = “twelve thousand and seventy-three”
First, you try!
OK. Look at these sentences. How do you say them?

 That one only costs $1.89! Let’s get it!

 They really wanted to sell the house for £200,000, but in the end, they had
to accept half that.
 Wow — €0.99? That’s cheap!
Was I right?
OK. Let’s check:

$1.89 = “one dollar eighty-nine (cents)” or “one dollar and eighty-nine cents” or
“one eighty-nine”
£200,000 = “two hundred thousand pounds” or “two hundred grand” or “two
hundred K”
€0.99 = “ninety-nine cents”
Saying the time correctly
First, you try!
OK — can you say these times correctly?

Be careful here. I’ve written these all in 24-hour time, but we don’t say all of
them in 24-hour time. Think about the context!

 The film about sushi starts at 19:00. Don’t be late!

 The plane leaves at 17:43. Then the adventure begins!
 The next train leaving platform 4 will depart at 15:00.
 Shall we meet at around 18:30?
 You’re late! It’s 08:03.

Was I right?
Let’s see!

19:00 (in this situation) = “seven” or “seven p.m.” or maybe “seven o’clock”

17:43 (in this situation) = “seventeen forty-three”
15:00 (in this situation) = “fifteen hundred hours”
18:30 (in this situation) = “six thirty” or “half-past six” or “half six”
08:03 = “eight oh-three” or “three (minutes) past eight”

What are the rules here?

Most of the rules here are a bit different because they depend on context.
1. When speaking informally, don’t use 24-hour time
So when we’re hanging out with our friends (like in the first and fourth
examples), we almost never use 24-hour time.

And when you do use 24-hour time, never use “o’clock” or “half past” or “5 to”
or any of the normal “telling the time” stuff.

We just say the numbers.

That means we don’t say “nineteen o’clock.” Ever. Just never say it!

And we never, ever, ever say “half past twenty.”

Instead, we just use 12-hour time.

So don’t say “nineteen o’clock.” Instead, say “seven o’clock.” Thinking of

saying “five past twenty”? Don’t! Say “five past eight” instead.

When I explain this to English learners, they often ask, “But how do you know
whether it’s morning or evening?”

And my answer is always the same: If you like, you can say “p.m.” or “a.m.” to
clarify. But how many people go to the cinema at 7 in the morning? Usually, the
context is clear enough.

And then they say, “Thanks. Also, your hair is looking great today.”
2. 24-hour time for scheduled events (usually transport)
When we’re talking about a train or a plane or a bus leaving, we can use 24-hour
time, and it doesn’t sound too weird, even when we’re talking to friends (like in
the second example).

And we can certainly expect to hear it when it’s being announced at an airport or
station (like in the third example).