3. Telling time using Casual Time, Rounding Up or Down
Time written out in words, American English:
When telling time many of us use to round off the number of minutes to the nearest multiple of 5.
In our case we don't have to round the number of minutes up or down.
[ | ] - Either could be used.
13:55 = five [of | till | until | before | to] two in the afternoon.
4. Telling time using Military Time
Time written out in words, American English
No semicolon between numeric hours and minutes.
Military time is used to avoid any possible confusion between a.m. - ante meridiem (morning, before noon) and p.m. - post meridiem (after the noon).
Each day is made up of a single 24-hour period, beginning at midnight.
1355 hours = thirteen fifty-five hours.
B. Writing and telling the time 13:55 in (UK) British English
1. Telling the time, Civil Time:
five to two in the afternoon.
2. Telling the time, Casual Time:
one fifty-five [p.m. | in the afternoon].
[ | ] - Either could be used.
p.m. = post meridiem (after the noon).
How to tell (the) time în English:
The minutes:
The number of minutes is said first then the number of hours, unless the hour is sharp (on the dot - i.e. five o'clock), in which case the number of minutes is not said.
The word 'minutes' is not said when the number of minutes is a multiple of 5 (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, ...).
In our case the number of minutes is more than 30 (more than half an hour) so it means that our time is closer to the next hour.
In this case we say the number of minutes remaining till the next hour.
Subtract our number of minutes from 60: 60 - 55 = 5.
The hours:
Civil time day is divided into two 12-hour periods beginning alternately at 12 at midnight and at 12 at noon.
Since our number of hours is more than a 12-hour period, subtract 12 from our number of hours: 13 - 12 = 1.
Add 1 to the hours number since the number of minutes is more than 30 (more than half an hour) - the time is closer to the next hour: 1 + 1 = 2.