Numbers, Dates and Telling the Time: A1 Exercises

Every answer with the reason behind it. Read the explanation for the ones you got right as well — that is where you find out whether you were right for the right reason.

Multiple choice questions — answers

1. How do you write the number 45 in words? → forty-five

Tens and units are joined by a hyphen, and forty has no u.

2. How is 6:15 usually said? → quarter past six

Up to the half hour English uses past, counting from the hour that has just gone.

3. How is 7:45 usually said? → quarter to eight

After the half hour English counts down to the NEXT hour, so 7:45 is quarter to eight.

4. How is 1985 said aloud? → nineteen eighty-five

Years up to 1999 split into two halves: nineteen, then eighty-five.

5. How is 2007 usually said? → two thousand and seven

The years 2000 to 2009 use thousand: two thousand and seven.

6. How is 3 May said in British English? → the third of May

British dates use the ordinal with the and of: the third of May.

7. Which sentence gives an age correctly? → I am twenty-five years old.

English states age with be, and the compound number takes a hyphen.

8. How is 6:30 said? → half past six

Half past six is the standard form; half six is informal British speech only.

9. What is the ordinal form of 12? → twelfth

Twelfth is spelled with an f, replacing the ve of twelve.

10. How do you say 120 in British English? → a hundred and twenty

British English puts and between the hundreds and the rest.

11. Which is the correct ordinal for 2? → second

First, second and third are irregular ordinals that have to be memorised.

12. How is 2026 usually said? → twenty twenty-six

From 2010 onward the two-half reading dominates again: twenty twenty-six.

13. How much is £12.60 said aloud? → twelve pounds sixty

In everyday speech the pence word is simply dropped: twelve pounds sixty.

14. How is 9:50 usually said? → ten to ten

After the half hour, count the minutes to the next hour: ten to ten.

15. Which preposition goes with a date? → on the fifth of June

Days and dates take on; months and years take in.

16. How is 18:40 read from a timetable? → eighteen forty

The 24-hour clock is read as two numbers: eighteen forty.

17. How is a phone number said in English? → digit by digit, with oh for zero

English says each digit separately, uses oh for zero and double for a repeated pair.

18. Which is the correct ordinal for 21? → twenty-first

In a compound ordinal only the last part becomes an ordinal: twenty-first.

19. Which date format is British? → 3 April 2026

British English writes the day first; American English writes the month first.

20. Which sentence about a year is correct? → I was born in 1990.

A year is a plain number and takes in — only the day of the month becomes an ordinal.

Fill-in-the-blank questions — answers

1. It is a quarter ___ nine. (8:45) → to

After the half hour English counts down towards the next hour.

2. It is a quarter ___ nine. (9:15) → past

Up to the half hour English counts forwards from the hour that has gone.

3. The meeting is ___ the twelfth of March. → on

Days and dates take on; months and years take in.

4. My grandfather was born ___ 1946. → in

Years take in, and the year itself is a plain number.

5. The film starts ___ half past eight. → at

Clock times take at.

6. She is twenty-___ years old. (5) → five

Tens and units are joined by a hyphen: twenty-five.

7. Her birthday is on the ___ of July. (3) → third

Dates use ordinal numbers, and third is one of the irregular ones.

8. It is ___ past six. (6:30) → half

Half past six is the standard form; dropping past is informal British speech only.

9. There are ___ months in a year. (12) → twelve

A count of things uses the cardinal number, not the ordinal.

10. December is the ___ month of the year. (12) → twelfth

Position in a sequence takes the ordinal, spelled with an f.

11. The shop opens ___ nine in the morning. → at

Clock times take at, whatever part of the day they fall in.

12. I have an appointment ___ Tuesday afternoon. → on

Days of the week take on, including the parts of a named day.

13. My exam is ___ June, but I don't know the date yet. → in

Months take in; only a specific date takes on.

14. It costs four pounds ___ . (£4.50) → fifty

In everyday speech the pence word is dropped: four pounds fifty.

15. The train leaves at ten ___ seven. (6:50) → to

Fifty minutes past six is ten minutes to seven.

16. There are one hundred ___ twenty pages in the book. (British style) → and

British English puts and between the hundreds and the rest of the number.

17. She came ___ in the race. (position 2) → second

Position uses an ordinal, and second is irregular.

18. The concert is on the twenty-___ of April. (1) → first

In a compound ordinal only the final part takes the ordinal form.

19. In tennis, a score of zero is called ___ . → love

English has different words for zero depending on the context — love in tennis, nil in football.

20. The 24-hour time 20:15 is read as twenty ___ . → fifteen

The 24-hour clock is read as two plain numbers with nothing between them.

Sentence structure: word ordering — answers

1. State your age with the correct verb. → I am twenty-five years old.

State your age with the correct verb.

2. Give the time of a screening. → The film starts at half past eight.

Give the time of a screening.

3. Give a date in the British spoken form. → My birthday is on the third of May.

Give a date in the British spoken form.

4. Say a year using the two-half reading. → She was born in nineteen ninety-eight.

Say a year using the two-half reading.

5. Tell the time when it is 6:45. → It is a quarter to seven.

Tell the time when it is 6:45.

6. State a daily opening time. → The shop opens at nine every morning.

State a daily opening time.

7. State a fact about the calendar using a cardinal number. → A week has seven days in it.

State a fact about the calendar using a cardinal number.

8. Give a month's position, using an ordinal. → December is the twelfth month.

Give a month's position, using an ordinal.

9. Give a departure time of 5:50. → The train leaves at ten to six.

Give a departure time of 5:50.

10. Give a price at a till. → That will be four pounds fifty, please.

Give a price at a till.

11. Give a travel date. → Our flight is on the second of June.

Give a travel date.

12. Give the time of a 3:20 booking. → I have an appointment at twenty past three.

Give the time of a 3:20 booking.

13. State an older relative's age. → My grandmother is ninety-two years old.

State an older relative's age.

14. Give a date with a compound ordinal. → The concert is on the twenty-first of April.

Give a date with a compound ordinal.

15. Give a time from a 24-hour timetable. → We arrived at eighteen forty exactly.

Give a time from a 24-hour timetable.

16. Estimate the size of a crowd. → There were about three hundred people there.

Estimate the size of a crowd.

17. Report a result using an ordinal. → She came second in the competition.

Report a result using an ordinal.

18. Give a closing time of 5:15. → The library closes at a quarter past five.

Give a closing time of 5:15.

19. Say a year from the 2000s decade. → I was born in two thousand and four.

Say a year from the 2000s decade.

20. State a daily mealtime. → We have lunch at one o'clock every day.

State a daily mealtime.