A0 · Ponto Zero Capítulo 5

Talking About Time

3 Regras totais
35 exemplos
5 min
Regras neste capítulo Prática rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the clock and the calendar to organize your world and share your plans.

  • Navigate past, present, and future with simple time markers.
  • Use prepositions correctly to describe specific parts of your day.
  • Tell the time clearly using the 'o'clock' system.
Your day, organized and shared with ease.

O que você vai aprender

Want to talk about your day, from 'morning' to 'night'? This chapter makes it simple! We'll explore words like 'Today' and 'Tomorrow,' and even learn how to tell the time, so you can share your simple plans with confidence.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to identify and use 'today', 'tomorrow', and 'yesterday' to sequence events.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to select the correct prepositions (in, at, on) for different times of the day.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to state the current time using 'It is' and 'o'clock'.

Guia do capítulo

Overview

Knowing how to talk about time is one of the most useful skills you'll learn as you begin your English journey. Imagine wanting to share what you did yesterday, what you're doing today, or your fun plans for tomorrow! This chapter will give you the essential building blocks to do just that.
You'll discover easy ways to name different parts of your day, like in the morning or at night, and even learn how to tell someone the time.
This isn't just about learning words; it's about connecting with people and making simple plans. Whether you want to say,
I work today
or "Let's meet at 3 o'clock," mastering these basics will open up new conversations. Getting comfortable with these phrases is a fantastic first step in English talking about time for beginners and a core part of your journey to learn English A0 grammar.
It makes every interaction clearer and helps you organize your daily life in English.
### How This Grammar Works
Let's break down the simple rules for talking about time. We'll start with how to refer to different days, then move to parts of the day, and finally, telling the exact hour.
First, the basic time words for days:
* Today means this day, right now. Example: I eat pizza today.
* Tomorrow means the day after today. When you talk about tomorrow, you usually use a verb for the future, like will. Example: I will eat pizza tomorrow.
* Yesterday means the day before today. When you talk about yesterday, you use a verb for the past. Example: I ate pizza yesterday. Notice ate is the past of eat.
Next, let's look at parts of the day:
* We use the word in for larger parts of the day, like in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening. Example: I drink coffee in the morning.
* For night, we use at. Example: I sleep at night.
* When you add a specific day, like for the weekend or a specific day of the week, we use on. Example: I relax on the weekend. Or: I go to work on Monday.
Finally, telling the time for exact hours:
* When the minutes are zero, we use o'clock. It's very simple! Example: It's 7 o'clock. Or: My class is at 9 o'clock. We say the number first, then o'clock.
### Common Mistakes
Here are a few easy-to-make mistakes and how to fix them to sound more natural.
  1. 1Wrong verb tense with yesterday or tomorrow.
✗ I will eat breakfast yesterday. (Incorrect tense for past action)
✓ I ate breakfast yesterday. (Use past tense for yesterday)
✗ I played soccer tomorrow. (Incorrect tense for future action)
✓ I will play soccer tomorrow. (Use future tense for tomorrow)
  1. 1Using the wrong small word for parts of the day.
✗ I read book on night.
✓ I read book at night. (Use at for night)
✗ We meet at the morning.
✓ We meet in the morning. (Use in for morning)
  1. 1Forgetting "o'clock" for exact hours or using it incorrectly.
✗ It's 3 time.
✓ It's 3 o'clock. (Use o'clock for exact hours)
✗ It's 3 o'clock and thirty minutes. (No, o'clock is only for exact hours)
✓ It's 3 o'clock. (Only use o'clock when the minutes are zero)
### Real Conversations
See how these simple time words help in everyday chats:
A: What do you do today?
B: I work in the morning. Then, I relax in the afternoon.
A: What time is it?
B: It's 5 o'clock.
A: Oh! I go home at 5 o'clock.
A: Do you work on the weekend?
B: No, I relax on the weekend. I will visit my friend tomorrow.
### Quick FAQ
Q: How do you ask someone what time it is in English?
A: You can simply ask,
What time is it?
or "What's the time?" These are both very common and polite.
Q: Can I say morning without in the?
A: Yes, you can say Good morning! or
See you tomorrow morning.
But when you describe an action happening during that part of the day, you usually use
in the morning.
For example:
I eat breakfast in the morning.
Q: What if the time is not an exact hour (like 3:30)?
A: At the A0 level, focus on o'clock for exact hours. You will learn how to say other times later, but for now, "It's 3 o'clock" is perfect if the clock shows 3:00.
Q: What are some other common time words for A0 learners?
A: Good question! You can also learn now (for this moment) and later (for a time after now). For example:
I am busy now. I will call you later.
### Cultural Context
English speakers use these simple time expressions constantly in daily life. Saying
at night,
in the morning,
or
tomorrow
is very natural and expected. Don't worry about being too formal; these basic phrases are the building blocks for all kinds of conversations, from making plans with friends to talking about your workday.
Just keep it simple and consistent with the rules you've learned.

Exemplos-chave (4)

1

I have a meeting `today` at 10 AM.

Tengo una reunión hoy a las 10 AM.

Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem
2

She will call me `tomorrow` afternoon.

Ella me llamará mañana por la tarde.

Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem
3

I usually drink tea `in the morning`.

Eu costumo beber chá de manhã.

Partes do Dia: De Manhã, À Noite, No Fim de Semana
4

Let's have lunch `in the afternoon`.

Vamos almoçar à tarde.

Partes do Dia: De Manhã, À Noite, No Fim de Semana

Dicas e truques (3)

💡

The 'No Preposition' Rule

Never say 'on today' or 'at tomorrow'. These words are adverbs and don't need help from prepositions.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem
💡

Pense nisso como um padrão

Não tente achar uma lógica profunda para cada preposição; muitas vezes, é apenas um padrão fixo. Memorize como blocos prontos:
I study in the afternoon.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partes do Dia: De Manhã, À Noite, No Fim de Semana
💡

Pratique com sua rotina

Tente narrar o que você faz no dia a dia para fixar o vocabulário:
I wake up at seven am
ou
I eat dinner at six pm.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: São 3 Horas — Dizendo as Horas

Vocabulário-chave (7)

Today The current day Tomorrow The day after today Yesterday The day before today Morning The early part of the day Night The time when it is dark Weekend Saturday and Sunday O'clock Of the clock (used for top of the hour)

Real-World Preview

users

Meeting a Friend

Review Summary

  • [Time Word] + [Verb]
  • In the [Period] / At [Night] / On the [Weekend]
  • It is + [Number] + o'clock

Erros comuns

While we use 'in the' for morning/afternoon, 'night' always takes the preposition 'at'.

Wrong: I work in the night.
Correto: I work at night.

In English, we use 'o'clock' to tell the time. 'Hours' refers to a duration of time, not a point on the clock.

Wrong: It is 5 hours.
Correto: It is 5 o'clock.

We use 'on' for days and the weekend in American English (though 'at' is used in British English, 'on' is standard for A0 learners).

Wrong: I see you in the weekend.
Correto: I see you on the weekend.

Next Steps

You're doing great! Being able to talk about time is a huge step toward fluency. Keep practicing your 'o'clocks'!

Look at your watch every hour and say the time out loud.

Write three sentences about what you did yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Continue to: Survival & Socializing

Prática rápida (10)

Fill in the missing time word.

Today is Wednesday. ___ was Tuesday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Yesterday
The day before Wednesday is Tuesday.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem

Qual frase está correta?

Escolha a frase correta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My alarm rings at six thirty am.
Os minutos vêm logo após a hora. O am ou pm vem por último.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: São 3 Horas — Dizendo as Horas

Encontre e corrija o erro.

Find and fix the mistake:

They often go shopping in weekend.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They often go shopping on the weekend.
Para 'weekend', a preposição correta é 'on', e geralmente incluímos o 'the'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partes do Dia: De Manhã, À Noite, No Fim de Semana

Fix the mistake in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

I will see you on tomorrow.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I will see you tomorrow.
We do not use 'on' with tomorrow.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem

Encontre e corrija o erro.

Find and fix the mistake:

The party begins at seven o'clock pm.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The party begins at seven pm.
Não misture o'clock com am ou pm. Escolha um dos dois.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: São 3 Horas — Dizendo as Horas

Escolha a preposição correta.

I like to read books ___ the evening.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: in
Para 'evening', usamos a preposição 'in'. Portanto, 'in the evening' é o correto.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partes do Dia: De Manhã, À Noite, No Fim de Semana

Qual frase está correta?

Escolha a frase correta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She works hard in the morning.
Usamos 'in the morning' para nos referir ao período geral da manhã.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Partes do Dia: De Manhã, À Noite, No Fim de Semana

Identify the possessive form.

___ weather is very cold.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Today's
Use 's to make the time word possessive.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem

Choose the correct word for the past.

I ___ a movie yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: watched
Yesterday requires the past tense 'watched'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem

Complete the question.

Are you going to the party ___?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tomorrow
'Are you going' is future/present, so 'tomorrow' fits best.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Palavras Básicas de Tempo: Hoje, Amanhã, Ontem

Score: /10

Perguntas comuns (6)

It is better to say last night. While people will understand you, last night is the standard expression.
It can be both! In 'Tomorrow is Monday,' it is a noun. In 'I will go tomorrow,' it is an adverb.
Para essas três partes do dia, quase sempre usamos in the. Por exemplo:
I exercise in the morning.
Você usa at night para se referir ao período geral da noite. Exemplo:
The stars shine at night.
Apenas diga o número da hora e depois o dos minutos! Por exemplo, 4:20 é four twenty. É direto e todo mundo entende.
Você usa 'o'clock' apenas para horas exatas, como 5:00 sendo "five o'clock". É um termo especial para esses momentos precisos.
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