Tell Time Minutes

Grade 3 · measurement · 100 practice problems · read aloud

🔊 Listen to this explanation

Telling Time to the Minute ⏰

This skill helps you read an analog clock to know the exact time, down to the very last minute! It's useful for knowing when your favorite show starts, how long until recess, or making sure you're on time.

How to Tell the Minutes

  1. Find the Hour Hand First: Look at the short, thick hand. It tells you the hour.
  2. Find the Minute Hand: Look at the long, thin hand. This is the minute hand.
  3. Count by Fives: Start at the 12 and count by 5s for every big number the minute hand has passed. Each big number is 5 minutes.
  4. Count the Little Marks: After counting by 5s, count the little marks to get the exact minute.

Let's Practice Together!

Example 1: The minute hand is pointing at the 4.

  • Start at 12: 5, 10, 15, 20.
  • It passed 4 big numbers, so that's 20 minutes.
  • The time is something o'clock and 20 minutes.

Example 2: The minute hand is pointing two little marks PAST the 6.

  • First, count to the 6: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 minutes.
  • Now, count the two little marks past the 6: 31, 32.
  • The time is something o'clock and 32 minutes.

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

  • Mixing up the hands: The short hand is for HOURS, the long hand is for MINUTES. Remember: "Short for hour, long for minute."
  • Forgetting to count little marks: If the minute hand is between big numbers, you must count the small tick marks to get the exact minute.
  • Starting count at 1: Always start counting minutes from the 12 (which is 0 minutes), not the 1!

Tips & Tricks

  • 🎵 Sing a Song: "The big numbers are 5, the small marks are 1. Count by fives, then add the ones!"
  • ✋ Use Your Hand: Point to each big number on the clock with your finger as you count by 5s.
  • 📝 Write it Down: Write the multiplication: If the minute hand is on the 8, think 8 x 5 = 40 minutes.

How to Get Better

Practice makes perfect!

  • Ask a grown-up to give you random times to show on a practice clock.
  • Look at the analog clock in your classroom or home throughout the day.
  • Play online time-telling games.
  • Draw your own clocks and label the minutes around the outside.

Practice problems

6 of the 100, worked through step by step — try them before opening the answer.

1 245 × 3 = ?

Hint: Multiply the ones place first, then the tens place, and finally the hundreds place, remembering to carry over when necessary.

Show the answer

Answer: 735

  1. Write the multiplication problem vertically for clarity. 245 × 3
  2. Multiply the ones place. The digit in the ones place of 245 is 5. 5 × 3 = 15. Write down 5 in the ones place of the answer, and carry over 1 to the tens place. Carry: 1 245 × 3 ----- 5
  3. Multiply the tens place. The digit in the tens place of 245 is 4. 4 × 3 = 12. Add the carried over 1: 12 + 1 = 13. Write down 3 in the tens place of the answer, and carry over 1 to the hundreds place. Carry: 1 245 × 3 ----- 35
  4. Multiply the hundreds place. The digit in the hundreds place of 245 is 2. 2 × 3 = 6. Add the carried over 1: 6 + 1 = 7. Write down 7 in the hundreds place. Carry: 0 245 × 3 ----- 735
  5. State the final answer. 245 × 3 = 735.

Let's multiply 245 by 3 step by step.

2 3 × 4 + 5 = ?

Hint: Remember the order of operations. Which operation should you perform first when there are no parentheses?

Show the answer

Answer: 17

  1. Identify the multiplication part of the expression. 3 × 4 + 5 First, calculate 3 × 4. 3 × 4 = 12
  2. Replace the multiplication with its result in the expression. Now we have: 12 + 5
  3. Perform the addition. 12 + 5 = 17 Final answer: 17

We use the order of operations: multiplication before addition.

3 What time is shown when the hour hand is between 3 and 4 and the minute hand points to the 7?

Hint: Think about what each number on the clock represents for minutes. Each number stands for 5 minutes, so count by fives from the 12.

Show the answer

Answer: 3:35

  1. The hour hand is between 3 and 4, so the hour is 3.
  2. The minute hand points to the 7. Each number on the clock represents 5 minutes. Count by fives from 12: 12 (0), 1 (5), 2 (10), 3 (15), 4 (20), 5 (25), 6 (30), 7 (35). So the minutes are 35.
  3. Combine the hour and minutes: 3:35. Final answer: 3:35

4 What time is shown when the hour hand is between 4 and 5 and the minute hand points to the 6?

Hint: Think about how many minutes each number on the clock represents. The minute hand pointing to the 6 means it has gone halfway around the clock.

Show the answer

Answer: 4:30

  1. The hour hand is between 4 and 5, so the hour is 4.
  2. The minute hand points to the 6. Each number on the clock represents 5 minutes. So, 6 × 5 = 30 minutes.
  3. Combine the hour and minutes: 4:30.

The answer is 4:30.

5 What time is shown when the hour hand is between 7 and 8 and the minute hand points to the 9?

Hint: Think about how many minutes each number on the clock represents. The minute hand moves 5 minutes for each number it points to.

Show the answer

Answer: 7:45

  1. The hour hand is between 7 and 8, so the hour is 7.
  2. The minute hand points to the 9. Each number on the clock represents 5 minutes. 9 × 5 = 45.
  3. Combine the hour and minutes: 7:45. Final answer: 7:45.

6 What time is shown when the hour hand is between 3 and 4 and the minute hand points to the 11?

Hint: Think about how many minutes each number on the clock represents. The minute hand moves 5 minutes for each number it passes.

Show the answer

Answer: 3:55

  1. The hour hand is between 3 and 4, so the hour is 3.
  2. The minute hand points to the 11. Each number on the clock represents 5 minutes. So, 11 × 5 = 55 minutes.
  3. Combine the hour and minutes: 3:55. Final answer: 3:55
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