“Quarter to 1” is a common way of expressing time in the 12-hour clock system, which is used in many English-speaking countries. It refers to a time that is 15 minutes before 1 o’clock. In other words, “quarter to 1” means 12:45.

The term “quarter” in this context refers to a quarter of an hour, which is equivalent to 15 minutes. In the 12-hour clock system, each hour is divided into four quarters, each representing 15 minutes. “Quarter to” is used to indicate that the current hour is coming to an end and the next hour is about to begin. Therefore, “quarter to 1” means that the hour of 1 o’clock is coming up soon.
To convert “quarter to 1” to the 24-hour clock system, also known as the military time or the 24-hour clock, we simply add 12 to the hour value. Thus, “quarter to 1” is equivalent to 12:45 in the 12-hour clock system and 13:45 in the 24-hour clock system.
It’s important to note that while “quarter to 1” is a common way of expressing time, there are other ways to say the same thing. For example, one could also say “three-quarters past 12” or “15 minutes until 1 o’clock” to express the same time. Different regions and cultures may have their own variations and expressions for telling time.
In conclusion, “quarter to 1” is a way of expressing time in the 12-hour clock system and refers to 12:45. It is an example of a quarter-hour time expression, indicating that 15 minutes remain until the next hour. To convert to the 24-hour clock system, we add 12 to the hour value, resulting in 13:45.