Thus, 5:50 p.m. would be "ten to six" and 2:45 p.m. would be "quarter to three". Americans also use "to" when telling the time.) To indicate the minutes following the hour, "after" or "past" is used. Thus, 6:10 p.m. would be expressed as "ten past six" or "ten after six".Dec 14, 2010read more >>