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ESL forum > Ask for help > Help!!! Which is the correct way to tell the time?    

Help!!! Which is the correct way to tell the time?



mmorales
Costa Rica

Help!!! Which is the correct way to tell the time?
 
Hi! I �m an English teacher from Costa Rica, I teach retired teachers and now we are studying the time.  My question:
Which is the correct way to tell the time?  Ex.  It �s a quarter to three. or It �s quarter to three.  It �s necessary to use the article a or it is optional?  I ask it because in some books I found:  It �s a quarter to three.  But in others It �s quarter to three.
Thanks to all of you for the wonderful, stupendous and helpful ppt. and ws. 
Pura Vida.
 

25 Sep 2009      





Zora
Canada

We had this discussion quite recently and basically it boiled down to this... you can use both. It �s ok with the ""a" or without. Smile

25 Sep 2009     



Nebal
Lebanon

Zora is absolutely right!! Both cases are correct.
nebal

25 Sep 2009     



pauguzman
Argentina

Hi! I asked that question a couple of days ago , look at this http://www.eslprintables.com/forum/topic.asp?id=11713
native speakers answered it
hope it will be useful for you!

25 Sep 2009     



Spagman63
Hong Kong

I think leaving off the "a" is just being lazy.  Quarter is a noun and therefore needs an article before it.  Just because something is said doesn �t mean it is always correct.  The phrase without the article is usually said in informal speech but I think it is still lazy speech.  

25 Sep 2009     



mmorales
Costa Rica

Thanks for the information!  It really helps me to understand it!

Take Care!!Thumbs Up

25 Sep 2009     



ariangie
Costa Rica

I agree with Spagman63

25 Sep 2009