English Experts

[rodrigocabelo]

Só um adendo: na Inglaterra e Escócia (e acredito que em todo o resto do Reino Unido) usa-se o sistema 24 horas e não o sistema AM/ PM. Apesar deles entenderem o sistema AM/PM de boas. Já explicado pelo Alessandro.
Senso assim, se alguém perguntar as horas à tarde e vc disser, por exemplo, "fourteen o'clock" ou "two o'clock", normal.
Já pra um americano ou canadense, a 1.a opção passa batido...

[Ramylla]

Ótima explicação! Parabéns!

[jmsilv]

Americans use different prepositions. The British say "a quarter past ten", Americans say "A quarter after ten", Americans say past only with "half". Half past ten. And most of the time, they don't use "a" before quarter.
I can't believe these lines are so long It's only quarter after 10.
Because 15 minutes is a quarter of an hour, "quarter after 3" means 3:15.
And they use "of", instead of "to" may times as well, like this.
It's a quarter of 3.
And they also use "until, till, before" instead of "to".
It's quarter before 4.
An account of the earthquake which happened about a quarter before one o'clock, on Sunday, September 30. 1750.
Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qjIoL6pBvA
I can tell this guy's accent is Canadian, so I guess North Americans in general use "after, past and to."
For Americans it sounds strange to say "quarter past ten", because it's not so common.
And here's a funny video by Dave Allen teaching a child how to tell time, you'll laugh your butt off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5P6GcUC4s
And the pronunciation is different: The British pronounce the "a" of after or the "al" of "half" as the "a" in "car".
And the Americans and Canadians pronounce this "a" or "al" as the "a" in "bad".
And this is funny, it's spoken in Italian with English subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvmkn82EWoY
And this one is great for children and adult learners http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCgqdkARzt0

Have fun.

[Flavia.lm]

hello jmsilv,

Thank you for sharing this information with us.
Interesting discussion about this topic at: http://www.englishforums.com/English/Te ... w/post.htm

[jmsilv]

I appreciate the link, Flávia, thanks.