I am unsure about this phrasing, does answering the question "What time is it (now)?" by saying "At 8 o'clock" or "It's at 8 o'clock" sound natural?
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Not really...we don't use 'at' unless we are specifying the hour when something will happen.– Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_Apr 3, 2020 at 18:19
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4Why are you using the preposition “at”?– user 66974Apr 3, 2020 at 18:19
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I wouldn't use it, but that's the phrase I heard, hence the question.– AjarApr 3, 2020 at 18:20
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Welcome to ELU. Did you hear the "(now)" or are you asking if that's a valid way to phrase it?– livresqueApr 3, 2020 at 19:04
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1 Answer
Using "at" to answer "what time is it (now)" does not sound natural; it actually sounds incorrect.
We will use "at" to describe when an event will take place. For example:
"When does the store open?" "It opens at 7AM."
"When will you be home?" "I'll be back home at 6:00."
"What time is the party?" "It's at 10."
The natural way to answer the question "what time is it (now)?" if it's 9AM would be:
"9" or "It's 9 o'clock"
If you said "At 9" I would think you misheard me and are talking about something that will happen later.
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1Welcome to EL&U. This is a very good first answer, but would benefit greatly from a source, and possibly a link. In the meantime +1. Apr 3, 2020 at 18:32
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