Writing dates in English can be very confusing at times, especially when you are trying to write the date in a formal context. If you’re writing a letter to a company, an essay for school, or a resume, it’s important to know how to write the date correctly. Here are some tips to help you format the date correctly in English.
Use Numerical Formats
When writing dates in English, the most common format is day/month/year. For example, if today’s date is February 20th, 2023, you would write it as 20/02/2023. This format is also used when writing dates in a sentence, such as “The meeting will take place on 20/02/2023.”
Abbreviate the Month
When writing dates in a sentence, you should always abbreviate the month. For example, instead of “February”, you would write “Feb.” The other months are also abbreviated as follows: Jan. (January), Mar. (March), Apr. (April), May, Jun. (June), Jul. (July), Aug. (August), Sep. (September), Oct. (October), Nov. (November), and Dec. (December). Therefore, the example sentence from above could be written as “The meeting will take place on 20 Feb. 2023.”
Write out the Month
In some cases, you may need to write out the month in full. This is common when writing dates on official documents such as letters, resumes, and contracts. For example, “This agreement was signed on the 20th of February, 2023.” This format is also used when writing dates in a formal way on invitations and greeting cards.
Use Ordinal Numbers
When writing dates in formal contexts, you should always use ordinal numbers instead of cardinal numbers. For example, you would write “The meeting will take place on the 20th of February” instead of “The meeting will take place on February 20th.” The same rule applies to other dates as well. For example, instead of “The meeting will take place on April 5th”, you would write “The meeting will take place on the 5th of April.”
Know the Difference Between American and British Dates
In the United States, the standard format for writing dates is month/day/year. For example, if today’s date is February 20th, 2023, you would write it as 02/20/2023. This format is also used when writing dates in a sentence, such as “The meeting will take place on 02/20/2023.” In the United Kingdom, the standard format for writing dates is day/month/year. Therefore, the same sentence would be written as “The meeting will take place on 20/02/2023.”
Use Apostrophes When Writing Dates In Words
When writing dates in words, you should always use apostrophes to indicate omitted numbers. For example, instead of writing out “February twentieth twenty twenty-three”, you would write “February 20th, 2023”. This rule also applies to other dates. For example, instead of writing out “April fifth twenty twenty-three”, you would write “April 5th, 2023”.
Write Out the Year
When writing dates in a formal context, you should always write out the year in full. For example, instead of “20/02/23”, you would write “20/02/2023”. This rule also applies to other dates as well. For example, instead of “05/04/23”, you would write “05/04/2023”.
Use Commas When Writing Dates In Sentences
When writing dates in a sentence, you should always use commas to separate the day, the month, and the year. For example, instead of “The meeting will take place on 20 Feb 2023”, you would write “The meeting will take place on 20 Feb., 2023.” The same rule applies to other dates as well. For example, instead of “The meeting will take place on 05 Apr 2023”, you would write “The meeting will take place on 05 Apr., 2023.”
Be Consistent In Your Date Formatting
When writing dates in English, it’s important to be consistent in your formatting. For example, if you’re writing a letter to a company, you should use the same date format throughout the letter. The same rule applies to other documents as well. For example, if you’re writing a resume, you should use the same date format throughout the resume.
Use the Correct Punctuation
When writing dates in English, you should always use the correct punctuation. For example, when writing dates in a sentence, you should use a comma to separate the day, the month, and the year. Additionally, when writing dates in words, you should always use an apostrophe to indicate omitted numbers.
Conclusion
Writing dates in English can be very confusing, especially when you’re trying to write the date in a formal context. To make sure that your dates are written correctly, it’s important to use numerical formats, abbreviate the month, write out the month in full, use ordinal numbers, know the difference between American and British dates, use apostrophes when writing dates in words, write out the year, use commas when writing dates in sentences, be consistent in your date formatting, and use the correct punctuation. With these tips, you’ll be able to write dates in English like a pro!
