Writing the date in English is very different from writing it in another language. English has two main styles: British English and American English. Each style has its own rules for writing the date. In this article, you will learn how to write the date in English in a simple way.
If you want to improve your skills in writing the date correctly, it is best to read the whole article. You will find it very helpful. If you only need specific information, check the table of contents and choose the part you need.
The Western Calendar
Most countries today use the Western calendar, also called the Gregorian calendar. In this system, a year has 365 days, divided into 12 months. Some months have 28, 30, or 31 days.
There is also a leap year, which happens every four years. In a leap year, February has 29 days instead of 28.
Since the Western calendar is widely used, many people ask questions about how to write the date in English. Some common questions are:
- How do you write the date and day?
- How do you read the date in English?
If you want the answers to these questions, continue reading.
months of the year in english
Before writing the date, it is important to know the months of the year in English. Here they are:
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Each month also has a short form:
Abbreviation of months
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sept
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Writing the Date in British and American English
In British English, the date format follows this order:
Day – Month – Year
For example:
6 May 2022
In American English, the date format is different:
Month – Day – Year
For example:
July 5, 2022
Reading Numbers in English
When reading dates, ordinal numbers are used. Here are some examples:
- First (1st)
- Second (2nd)
- Third (3rd)
- Fourth (4th)
- Fifth (5th)
- Sixth (6th)
- Seventh (7th)
- Eighth (8th)
- Ninth (9th)
- Tenth (10th)
How to read dates in english
Here is an example of a date written in British style:
04/09/2022
It is read as: The fourth of September, two thousand and twenty-two.
Here is an example of a date written in American style:
04/06/2004
It is read as: April the sixth, two thousand and four.
Asking About the Date in english
To ask about the date in English, the word “what” is used.
What is the date today?
It is the fourth of September, two thousand and twenty-two.
What was the date yesterday?
It was April the sixth, two thousand and four.
Prepositions Used with Dates in english
Different prepositions are used when talking about time and dates.
The preposition “in” is used for months, years, centuries, and seasons.
- In April
- In 2020
- In winter
The preposition “on” is used for specific days.
- On Sunday
- On 15th January
The preposition “at” is used for specific times, meals, and celebrations.
- At 8 o’clock
- At night
- At lunch
Examples of Full Dates
The first of July, two thousand and twenty-two.
The second of March, two thousand and twenty.
The third of April, nineteen ninety-four.
The seventh of December, nineteen ninety-three.
Final Tip
Learning English becomes easier when you focus on basic rules. Understanding how to form sentences and questions will help you improve quickly.
This is the end of the lesson on how to write the date in English. Hope you found it useful.
Read this article: Punctuation Marks in English: Everything You Need to Know.
