US Daylight Saving Time Ends and Clocks Go Back One Hour: Learn fall back, standard time and time difference

News date: November 1, 2026 (US local time) | English level: B1–B2 | Topic: world news, time and time-difference English

If you have online meetings with US clients or colleagues this week, you may have noticed that their time seems to have moved by an hour again. The reason: US daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. local time on November 1 (that afternoon in Taiwan), and clocks in most of the US were turned back one hour.

English has an easy way to remember this twice-a-year clock change: in spring, clocks spring forward; in autumn, they fall back. Using one short news story, this article shows you what daylight saving time is, what fall back means, and how to talk about the time difference when you set up a time with people abroad.

For example, a meeting fixed at 9 a.m. Monday in New York is now 10 p.m. Monday in Taipei, one hour later than during the summer months. For office workers, this is basic knowledge for cross-border meetings; for anyone planning a working holiday in Australia or study abroad, it is also a first step in understanding daily life in another country.

Try reading it once and pick out three key points: Which way do the clocks move? Which places do not change their clocks? How many hours is the time difference between Taiwan and New York now?

English level: Intermediate (B1–B2) | Topic: Daily Life, Time Zones

Clocks Fall Back as Daylight Saving Time Ends in the US

Most people in the United States got an extra hour of sleep last weekend. Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, and clocks were turned back one hour to 1 a.m. The change means brighter mornings but darker evenings by the clock, as the sun now sets at an earlier clock time.

Not every part of the country follows the switch. Hawaii and most of Arizona stay on standard time all year, and so do US territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam. In Canada, Alberta adopted permanent Alberta Time (UTC−6) and did not turn its clocks back this year. The UK and most of Europe had already turned their clocks back a week earlier, on October 25.

Many Americans say they are tired of changing the clock twice a year. In July, the House of Representatives passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent, but it has not passed the Senate and has not become law. Sleep experts say the shift can affect the body clock, so it is a good idea to keep a regular bedtime this week.

For now, clocks will spring forward again on March 14, 2027. For people in Taiwan, the time difference with New York is now 13 hours instead of 12.

The English passage above is an original learning text written from NIST, government announcements and media reports. It is not a word-for-word copy of any news article.

Last weekend, most people in the US got one more hour of sleep. Daylight saving time stopped at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, and clocks went back to 1 a.m. By the clock, mornings are now lighter and evenings get dark earlier. Changing the clock does not change how much daylight there is in a day.

Some places do not change their clocks. Hawaii and most of Arizona use standard time all year, and so do US territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. In Canada, Alberta now uses Alberta Time (UTC−6) all year, so it did not turn its clocks back this autumn. The UK and most of Europe turned their clocks back one week earlier, on October 25.

Many Americans do not want to change their clocks twice a year anymore. In July, the House of Representatives passed a bill to keep daylight saving time all year, but the Senate has not passed it, so it is not a law. Sleep experts say the change can affect your body clock, so try to go to bed at the same time this week.

For now, clocks will move forward again on March 14, 2027. People in Taiwan are now 13 hours ahead of New York, not 12.

1. daylight saving time (noun phrase): the months when clocks are set one hour ahead; also called summer time

In the news: Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Example: My cousin in Seattle always forgets about daylight saving time when she calls her mom in Taipei.
She forgets that the clock change affects the time in Taipei.

2. fall back (phrasal verb): to turn the clocks back one hour in autumn

In the news: Clocks fall back as daylight saving time ends.

Example: If our meeting stays at 9 a.m. New York time, it moves from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Taiwan time after the clocks fall back.
The New York time stays the same, but the Taiwan time becomes one hour later.

3. spring forward (phrasal verb): to turn the clocks forward one hour in spring

In the news: Clocks will spring forward again on March 14, 2027.

Example: Don't forget that the US will spring forward in March, so the time difference will change again.
In March, the gap between the two places changes again.

4. standard time (noun): the normal clock time of a place, with no daylight saving change

In the news: Hawaii and most of Arizona stay on standard time all year.

Example: Taiwan uses standard time all year, so we never change our clocks.
Taiwan has no daylight saving time.

5. switch (noun): a change from one thing to another

In the news: Not every part of the country follows the switch.

Example: The switch from student life to office life was harder than I expected.
Moving from school to work was not easy.

6. permanent (adjective): lasting for a long time or forever; not temporary

In the news: a bill to make daylight saving time permanent

Example: After her working holiday in Australia, she found a permanent job in Kaohsiung.
A permanent job is a long-term job, not a short-term one.

7. pass a bill (phrase): when lawmakers vote to approve a proposed law

In the news: The House of Representatives passed a bill in July.

Example: Lawmakers need to pass a bill before the new rule can start.
The rule cannot start until lawmakers vote yes.

8. become law (phrase): to officially become a law that people must follow

In the news: It has not passed the Senate and has not become law.

Example: The plan is still being discussed; it hasn't become law yet.
It is still only a plan, not an official law.

9. body clock (noun): your body's natural sense of when to sleep and wake up

In the news: The shift can affect the body clock.

Example: After a 10-hour flight to Sydney, my body clock was completely confused.
After the long flight, the speaker did not know when to sleep or wake up.

10. time difference (noun): the gap in clock time between two places

In the news: The time difference with New York is now 13 hours.

Example: Because of the time difference, I can only video call my friend in Brisbane after lunch.
The two places have different clock times, so there are only certain good times to call.

11. be tired of (phrase): to be bored or annoyed with something that happens again and again

In the news: Many Americans say they are tired of changing the clock twice a year.

Example: I'm tired of taking the crowded MRT every morning.
The speaker is fed up with the crowded train every morning.

Pattern 1: Not every + singular noun + verb… (partial negation)

From the passage: Not every part of the country follows the switch.

How it works: "Not every" means "not all of them": some do and some don't. This is called partial negation. Remember that every takes a singular noun, and the verb is singular too.

Try it: Not every student needs a private tutor.
Some students need a private tutor, but others don't.

Common mistake: "Every part doesn't follow…" can easily be understood as "none of them follow". In everyday English, starting with Not every is clearer.

Pattern 2: A, and so + auxiliary / be + B (B is the same)

From the passage: Hawaii and most of Arizona stay on standard time all year, and so do US territories.

How it works: Use this to say "B is the same" without repeating a long clause. After so, the word order is inverted: the auxiliary comes before the subject. If the first clause has an ordinary verb, use do / does / did; if it uses be, use am / is / are.

Try it: I'm nervous about the IELTS speaking test, and so is my sister.
My sister is nervous about it too.

Pattern 3: The change means A but B (the change brings A, but also B)

From the passage: The change means brighter mornings but darker evenings.

How it works: mean can be followed directly by a noun to say "leads to" or "brings a certain result". Joining two contrasting results with but is a neat way to describe the pros and cons of something.

Try it: Working remotely means more free time but fewer chances to chat with coworkers.
Remote work gives you more free time, but you talk to coworkers less.

Situation: Amy in Taiwan and her colleague Jake in New York are arranging an online meeting time on Slack.

English Conversation

• Amy: Hi Jake, can we keep our weekly call at 9 p.m. my time?
• Jake: Sure, but remember the clocks fell back here on Sunday.
• Amy: Oh right, daylight saving time ended. So what's the time difference now?
• Jake: It's 13 hours, not 12. Your 9 p.m. is now 8 a.m. for me.
• Amy: That's a bit early for you. Is that OK?
• Jake: It's fine. Honestly, my body clock still thinks it's 9 a.m.!
• Amy: Ha! Taiwan uses standard time all year, so I never have to worry about it.
• Jake: Lucky you. I'm so tired of changing the clocks twice a year.

Key takeaways

• Amy asks to keep the weekly call at 9 p.m. Taiwan time.
• Jake agrees but reminds her that US clocks went back on Sunday.
• Amy realizes daylight saving time has ended and asks about the new time difference.
• Jake explains it is now 13 hours, so 9 p.m. in Taiwan is 8 a.m. in New York.
• Amy checks that such an early time is OK for Jake.
• Jake says it's fine and jokes that his body clock still thinks it's 9 a.m.
• Amy says Taiwan uses standard time all year, so she never has to worry.
• Jake says he is tired of changing the clocks twice a year.

Try not to look back at the article. Choose your answer and confirm it to see the explanation.

Taiwan uses UTC+8 all year. After the US ended daylight saving time at 2 a.m. local time on November 1, 2026, the time differences between Taiwan and US cities on standard time are as follows. Taiwan time is always ahead of US local time. After the US starts daylight saving time again on March 14, 2027, each difference becomes 1 hour shorter.

Tip for scheduling across time zones: If a meeting is fixed at 9 a.m. New York time, the Taiwan time moves from 9 p.m. during daylight saving time to 10 p.m. on standard time. If the meeting is fixed at 9 p.m. Taiwan time, the New York time moves from 9 a.m. to 8 a.m. In an invitation, give the city, the date and the time zone; that is clearer than just writing "EST" or "9 p.m. Taiwan time". For example: Can we meet at 9 a.m. New York time on November 3? That's 10 p.m. in Taipei.

Exceptions: Hawaii, most of Arizona, and US territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam do not use this seasonal clock change. Since November 2026, Alberta in Canada has used Alberta Time (UTC−6) all year. When setting a meeting with people in these places, first check the city and the time system it uses.

Cross-border meetings and video calls with friends abroad need a lot of English just for talking about the time difference. If you want to actually use these words when you speak, Ambitious Learner's one-on-one online English lessons can build practice around your work situations (such as international meetings or scheduling by email), with a teacher helping you until the sentences come naturally.

If you are planning to study in the Philippines or go on a working holiday in Australia, you are also welcome to book a consultation through our LINE account and work out a study plan that suits you.

• Workplace English communication: 6 strategies for clearer meetings, emails and cross-border teamwork.
• How to talk about the weather in English: weather vocabulary, typhoon words and useful dialogues.
• 2026 US midterm elections: learn midterm, on the ballot and cast a ballot.
• UK HPI visa 2026 university list: learn eligible, qualification and switch to.

• US NIST: Daylight Saving Time | Ends 2 a.m. local time on Nov 1, 2026; starts each year on the second Sunday in March
• US Department of Transportation: Time Act | States may choose not to observe daylight saving time
• Government of Alberta: Alberta Time | Fixed at UTC−6 all year from Nov 1, 2026
• US House of Representatives roll call, July 14, 2026 | H.R. 139, 308 in favor, 117 against
• US GovInfo: H.R. 139 | Referred to a Senate committee on July 15, 2026
• nidirect (UK government): Remember to put clocks back this weekend | Back to standard time on Oct 25, 2026
• Forbes: Here's Exactly When Daylight Saving Time Ends | Oct 29, 2026
• AccuWeather: Daylight Saving Time 2026: When do clocks fall back? | Oct 30, 2026
• NBC Boston: Daylight saving time ends soon | Oct 30, 2026

Facts checked on Nov 3, 2026. Time differences are calculated from Taiwan's UTC+8 and the US standard time zones. The English reading passage, example sentences, dialogue and quiz are original teaching content by Ambitious Learner, not word-for-word copies of news articles.