O'CLOCK


Meaning of O'CLOCK in English

adverb

1

BAD : It was twenty past four o'clock when the train arrived.

GOOD : It was twenty past four when the train arrived.

BAD : They finished their dinner at about 7.30 o'clock.

GOOD : They finished their dinner at about 7.30.

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Do not use o'clock for times that include minutes or parts of an hour. Compare: 'It's four o'clock.' 'It's ten past four.'

2

BAD : By seven o'clock p.m. the child had been found.

GOOD : By seven p.m. the child had been found.

GOOD : By seven o'clock (in the evening) the child had been found.

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Use EITHER o'clock OR a.m./p.m. (NOT both).

3

BAD : I start work at 9.00 o'clock.

GOOD : I start work at 9 o'clock.

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Do not use o'clock after 6.00, 7.00 etc . Compare: '8 a.m.', '8.00', '8.00 a.m.', '8 o'clock'.

Longman Common Errors English vocabulary.      Английский словарь распространенных ошибок Longman.