1. Tutorial Number 4
Time, Days & Dates

2. Introduction
In general, guests ask about time or date regarding any specific restaurant of the hotel. They want to know when any specific restaurant or facility would be available or not. In some rare occasions, guest may have such a great time that they may get away from everything and lost track of time or even day. In those cases you may need to answer about time, days or dates.

3. Dawn Sunrise Morning Breakfast Noon Midday Lunch
Useful Vocabulary
Time
Dawn
Sunrise
Morning
Breakfast
Noon
Midday
Lunch
Morning shift
Day shift
Graveyard shift
Time
Difference
O’clock

4. Continued O’clock Hour Downtown Christmas Easter Good Friday Afternoon
Evening
Sunset
Twilight
Night
Midnight
Lunar Calendar
Spring Festival
O’clock
Hour
Downtown
Christmas
Easter
Good Friday

5. Continued
Dates
While talking about Dates, ordinal numbers are to be used, as follows:
First (1st)
Ninth (9th)
Tenth (10th)
Fourteenth (14th)
Twentieth (20th)
Twenty-first (21st)
Twenty-sixth (26th)
Thirtieth (30th)
Thirty-first (31st)

6. Continued Months of the Year Days of the Week January February March
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

7. Essential Phrases
Here are some time expressions that are being asked by the guests to know about any particular day or time:
The date is (... December first)
Today's date is ( the first of February)
It's 11:15 PM
The time is a quarter to ten.
Pardon me, do you have the time?
Excuse me, what’s the date today?
Is today the (12th or 13th)?
What times does the (... train leave)?

8. Continued What time would you like (.... the reservation)?
What time will you be (... checking in)?
I would like to stay from (... Monday through Thursday).
There’s a time difference of 2 hours.
I’d better make the call in the evening.
Is it the correct time?
It’s 2:10 by my watch.
That is next Sunday, isn’t it?
Planes have to fly over the International Dateline.
My sister will get it on January 2nd.

9. Dialogue
Closely look at the following dialogues which are exchanged between the hotelier and guest for different purpose in different times:
Guest: Hay, could you tell me the time please?
Staff: It's three forty (3.40) sir.
Guest: What's date today?
Staff: It's March third.
Guest: What’s the time for check out?
Staff: Sir, our check out time is at 12:00 PM.

10. Dialogue Scene 1 Staff: Good afternoon sir. How can I help you?
Guest: I would like to schedule an appointment a badminton game.
Staff: Certainly, what day and time would you like that for?
Guest: Do you have time available on Friday morning? About 9:00.
Staff: I’m sorry, we don’t have any openings at 9:00, but there is time between 10 and 11:30.
Guest: How about 10:30.
Staff: Yes that’s possible. Should I have your name please?
Guest: It’s Ronald Smith, room 905.
Staff: Ok Mr. Ronald, we have reserved your slot for Friday at 10:30. See you then.
Guest: Thank you, bye.

11. Dialogue Scene 2 Guest: Excuse me. What time is it now?
Scene 2
Guest: Excuse me. What time is it now?
Staff: It’s 1:45 by my watch.
Guest: Is it the correct time?
Staff: Yes. I think so.
Guest: You use Beijing time here, don’t you?
Staff: Yes, we do.
Guest: Do you know what time it is now in Holland?

12. Dialogue Scene 2 (Continued)
Scene 2 (Continued)
Staff: I guess it is about half past eight in the morning. There is a time difference of 6 hours.
Guest: Oh I see. I want to call back home. It seems I’d better make the call in the evening.
Staff: I think so if nothing is urgent, because there are special call rates at night after 9:00.
Guest: Do you mean cheaper?
Staff: Yes.
Guest: That’s great. Thank you.

13. Dialogue Scene 3 Guest: Excuse me. What is the day today?
Scene 3
Guest: Excuse me. What is the day today?
Staff: Today is Monday.
Guest: It’s October the 29th, isn’t it?
Staff: Yes, it is.
Guest: How long does it take for a letter to get to America?
Staff: About a week.
Guest: So if I send a letter today, my brother will get it on November 4th. That is next Tuesday, isn’t it?
Staff: No, it will be November 3rd in America, because planes have to fly over the International Date Line.
Guest: You’re right. How silly I am.

14. Quick Tip
There are two ways to give time. You can tell the hour and minutes (12:25) or you can tell the minutes after the hour or before the next hour. For example, 12:25 can be expressed as twelve-twenty five or twenty-five after twelve.

15. Another use of Time Expressions-Talking about Routine
There are few words especially adverbs are used when guest ask about opening or closure of any shop or restaurant or movie theater etc. Also they may ask about sunset and sunrise or the time of traffic rush or usual local time of taking dinner etc.

16. All the time Always Most of the time Usually Sometimes
Useful Vocabulary
Following words are used to express frequency. These words are used to express how frequently you thing something happens:
Seldom never
Occasionally
Rarely
Not at all
Never
All the time
Always
Most of the time
Usually
Sometimes

17. Dialogue
Following dialogues are used by the hotelier or guests while talking about daily schedules and routines:
Guest: What time do the local shops usually open?
Staff: They usually open between 9:00 and 10:00.
Guest: Do they usually open at the same time on Saturdays and Sundays as well?
Staff: Yes, most of the shops open at the same time on the weekends.
Guest: When do local people usually eat dinner?
Staff: Most people eat dinner between 7 and 8 PM.
Guest: Is lunch usually had at 1:00 PM or between 1:00 and 2:00.

18. Dialogue Continued… Staff: Lunch is usually between noon and 1:00.
Guest: How often do they change movies at the local cinema?
Staff: As far as I know, movies are usually changed once a week.
Guest: Do they show a lot of English language movies?
Staff: Many of the movies are the latest Hollywood block blusters.
Guest: How many times a week does the hotel clean the pool?
Staff: The pool is cleaned every day, sometimes twice a day, depending on the circumstances.
Guest: What time are they usually cleaned.
Staff: Usually early in the morning, before the guests wake up.