for no ads

How to write a date?

20 replies
1 2 3
:
It seems there are lots of ways to indicate a date.

For example, if I want to write a date of April 22, 2006, it is written in diverse ways such as "Apr. 22, 2006, Apr. 22nd, 2006, or 22 April 2006.

What is the difference between them?

Which is appropriate in what occasions or purposes?

I look forward to accurate answer. ...
New Member09
:
I think I'm going to start sounding like a broken record, but this is another example of something that is "style" and not "grammar." I say "style" when I mean that there is no different in meaning or logic, and it doesn't violate any rule of grammar. When there are choices involved, you pick a style and stick with it.

First of all, in the US, the month comes first. But I think we're unique in that. My birthday is May 23 or 5/23 here, but 23 May just about everywhere else. (You are all now on notice - you have just under five weeks to prepare an appropriate celebration.)

Rarely is the rd or nd used in text. I wouldn't write that my birthday is May 23rd, and rarely would you use an abbreviation like Apr. in text. But it all depends on your house style. Chicago Manual and AP disagree on a few things.
Veteran Member26,670
Proficient Speaker: Users in this role are known to maintain an excellent grasp of the English language. You can only be promoted to this role by the Englishforums team.Retired Moderator: A moderator who has retired.Trusted Users: Trusted users are allowed to use additional capabilities of the site such as private messaging to all users and various other advanced features. You cannot join this role unless you are promoted by an administrator.
:
Wow!!!

Thank you so much for the detailed and prompt answer.

It was a great help for me.

HaHa.. well, my birthday is April 22 (no abbreviation in text!!! I will remember.), so you have only one day to prepare..

Thank you again....
Anonymous:
can any one please help me? im from south america and i dont know if this is ok.. "Tuesday the 5th of june" or "Tuesday 5th of june" or either way works. the thing is that we are translating a web site, and we dont know how to write the date.
thanks for any help...
:
June has a capital J.

Tuesday, the fifth of June - this is quite formal - sounds like a wedding invitation.

Tuesday, June 5 - this would be the American way

Tuesday, 5 June - this would be the European way

Tuesday, 5th June - don't use this
Proficient Speaker: Users in this role are known to maintain an excellent grasp of the English language. You can only be promoted to this role by the Englishforums team.Retired Moderator: A moderator who has retired.Trusted Users: Trusted users are allowed to use additional capabilities of the site such as private messaging to all users and various other advanced features. You cannot join this role unless you are promoted by an administrator.
Anonymous:
(sorry, can't log in on this computer)

Actually, Tuesday, 5th June would be first choice in BrE.

Lil' Ruby Rose
:
My apologies. You DO you use the st and th and nd in running text, then? I didn't know that.

So I'll see you on Monday, 11th June, and I can't wait to meet your new boyfriend. - That's the preferred BrE style in writing? (Because we SAY eleventh and not eleven, but we rarey write it that way.)
Proficient Speaker: Users in this role are known to maintain an excellent grasp of the English language. You can only be promoted to this role by the Englishforums team.Retired Moderator: A moderator who has retired.Trusted Users: Trusted users are allowed to use additional capabilities of the site such as private messaging to all users and various other advanced features. You cannot join this role unless you are promoted by an administrator.
Anonymous:
Hello.
It depends on where you are in the world, as to how you write a date.
US version: Month/day/year
UK version: Day Month year
North Europe: Year Month day
So its best to write the day in numbers, month in letters and year in full.
What I mean? I mean 09 April 2008 or 9 Apr.2008 as this makes it clear what each part stands for.
Hope this could help you!
Bye
:
Grammar GeekMy apologies. You DO you use the st and th and nd in running text, then? I didn't know that.

So I'll see you on Monday, 11th June, and I can't wait to meet your new boyfriend. - That's the preferred BrE style in writing? (Because we SAY eleventh and not eleven, but we rarey write it that way.)
Hi GG
I am about as British as you are Finnish.Emotion: smile However, I do know that there's much more variety in writing the date in BrE than in AmE. Many Brits do useth in running text the way you indicate, but not all. Some put the day before the month, some put it after the month the way Americans almost invariably do. It has become fashionable in recent years to even leave out the comma: April 10 2008. This is how a respectable newspaper called The Guardian writes the date even in running text. I think quite a few elderly Brits find it a little odd, though.
Cheers
CB
Veteran Member7,373
Proficient Speaker: Users in this role are known to maintain an excellent grasp of the English language. You can only be promoted to this role by the Englishforums team.Trusted Users: Trusted users are allowed to use additional capabilities of the site such as private messaging to all users and various other advanced features. You cannot join this role unless you are promoted by an administrator.
Show more
Interesting stuff
Live chat
Registered users can join here

Related forum topics:

Commas and dates?how to write a formal letter!!Dates?how to report dates?Difference between THERE and IT?difference between polysemy and homonymy?How to change the interview date ?dates in the notebook?What's the date / day today?The difference between 'because' and 'Since'?How to write the dates?how to write the date?date?Difference between in and on?difference between ''anyways'' and ''anyway''?how to write dates?the difference between can and could?difference between "how far" and "how long"?Difference between TO and FOR?Date or dates ?

Places to start

 

Community Sites

Browse Englishforums


Help