Writing Dates and Times
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
Writing Dates and Times
Please note: This original post has been updated and replaced by a new version of Writing Dates and Times.
Rule: The following examples apply when using dates:
The meeting is scheduled for June 30.
The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June.
We have had tricks played on us on April 1.
The 1st of April puts some people on edge. (Some prefer to write it out: The first of April)
Rule: There are differing policies for expressing decades using numerals. Some write the 1980s and the ’80s, others write the 1980’s and the 80’s. However, using two apostrophes (the ’80’s) is awkward and is not recommended.
Correct:
During the ’80s, the world’s economy grew.
During the 1980s, the world’s economy grew.
During the 1980’s, the world’s economy grew.
Not Advised:
During the ’80’s, the world’s economy grew.
Rule: Some writers spell out the time of day, others prefer numbers.
Example: She gets up at four thirty before the baby wakes up.
Example: The baby wakes up at 5 o’clock in the morning.
Rule: Some use numerals with the time of day when exact times are being emphasized.
Example: Her flight leaves at 6:22 a.m.
Example: Please arrive by 12:30 p.m. sharp.
Rule: It is clearer to use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m.
Note: You may use AM and PM, A.M. and P.M., am and pm, or a.m. and p.m.
Some put a space after the numeral, others do not.
Example: Her flight leaves at 6:22 a.m.
Example: Her flight leaves at 6:22am.
Example: Please arrive by 12:30 P.M. sharp.
Pop Quiz: Correct or Incorrect?
1. The last outbreak of smallpox occurred in the late seventy’s.
2. Can you get here by 12:00 midnight?
3. Please deliver the package by August 1st.
Pop Quiz Answers:
1. The last outbreak of smallpox occurred in the late seventies.
2. Can you get here by midnight? (leave out 12:00)
3. Please deliver the package by August 1. (OR by the first of August OR by the 1st of August)
Are you ready for the quiz?
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
Thanks for the useful resource. It would be great if the Word Editor such as Microsoft Word could make corrections when mistakes are made in writing dates and times.
Sandy, I agree with you that Microsoft Word should correct dates with its AutoCorrect feature. It does, however, insert dates correctly when using date fields. Both Word and Excel’s “long date” format will look look like this: Monday, September 14, 2009.
In Word 2007, click on the Insert tab, then click Date & Time (right-hand side, Text group). In Excel 2007 on the Home tab, click the Number Format drop-down arrow and select Long Date.
I am a computer applications instructor and I always mention this to my adult students.
How do you write time? he was late 4 minutes and 30 seconds or 4:30 minutes?
If you write 4:30, you are indicating a particular time, not a duration of time. Since you are writing about minutes and seconds (two different categories), follow my rule that says this: If you have numbers in different categories, use numerals for one category and spell out the other.
Example: All 30 history students attended the four plays. (Students are represented with figures; plays are represented with words.)
Your Example: He was four minutes and 30 seconds late.
Different authorities recommend different solutions. You might see “four minutes and thirty seconds,” “four minutes and 30 seconds,” or even “4 minutes and 30 seconds.” But in most cases it would be better to write either “four and a half minutes” (with no hyphens) or “4 ½ minutes.”
As a graphic designer with a love for typographic nuance, I offer up Robert Bringhurst’s “Elements of Typographic Style” as a source for how to proceed. In it, he states that an en dash, not a hyphen, is the proper punctuation for mixed numerals (4–½ minutes). There’s a section that explores in seemingly infinite detail the proper usage for hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes; as well as the difference between a minus sign and a hyphen. The passage is a satisfying experience for any punctuation pedant.
With the ubiquitous use of computers, Mr. Bringhurst’s specialty is losing emphasis. The style manuals that we use for reference materials do not recommend using any kind of punctuation when writing a numeric fraction.
I hate to be picayune, but 4 1/2 minutes, if it were correct to write it that way, would be 4.5 minutes, not 4.3 minutes.
Since nana wrote “4:30” rather than “4.30,” it’s unlikely she was thinking in terms of decimal/fraction equivalency.
We would not recommend expressing time that way in this case.
Should it be 5:00 AM or just 5 AM?
According to the AP Style Manual, either 5:00 a.m. or 5 a.m. would be correct. Even mixing the two is fine. (See below) Note, however, that the standard is a.m. and p.m., not AM and PM.
AP Style Manual: Q. Can you please tell me how time should be written. Is 9 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. corrrect? Or, should it appear as 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Thank you!
A. AP style is 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 2007-05-13 (Source: Ask the Editor, Dates, time periods)
What is the correct way to write the following:
The trade was executed at 3:00 p.m., PT, on Wednesday, June 30th.
The best way to write this: The trade was executed on Wednesday, June 30, at 3:00 p.m., PST (or PDT). Note that the day and date appear before the time. Also, I replaced PT with PST or PDT, the more standard abbreviations. Finally, I eliminated the “th” from “June 30.”
would “The morning of July 31, 1901”
be correct, or ….July 31st,1901 ?
This is still confusing for me.
Do not add “st” or “th” to dates that include the year. Even dates that do not include the year do not need pronunciation help. Example: Her birthday is on August 28, which falls on a Saturday this year.
Thanks for your anwer, but now I have another question (or two): is the following correct?
Working 9 to 5, five days a week, (no AM, PM?)
Also, 48 hour strike, the first 72 hours, 24 hour day? Should the numbers be spelled? If not, should the number and hour or hours hyphonated?
With “working 9 to 5,” you don’t need “AM/PM” because it is an expression and the “AM/PM” is understood. If, however, you say, “He needs to be at work by 10,” you would want to clarify morning vs. evening.
Hyphenation answers: 48-hour strike Explanation: Hyphenate compound adjectives (48-hour) in front of a noun (strike).
the first 72 hours Explanation: Do not hyphenate onto a noun (hours).
24-hour day Explanation: Hyphenate compound adjectives (24-hour) in front of a noun (day).
Numbers greater than nine (or ten) do not need to be spelled out.
Thanks, you were a great help!
Does it matter that the year of the date falls on to the second line in a paragraph? For example:
“…the next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, August 21,
2010.”
Place the entire date, excluding the day of the week, on one line: “…the next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, August 21, 2010.”
Please punctuate the following: between July 1 2010 and August 30 2010 the heat index will soar
Many thanks for settling an argument at work.
I am troubled by this question from my daughter,
Is “The first telephone directory was issued February 21, 1878, by the New Haven Telephone Company.” fine enough or the word “on” is required before the date?
Thank you for your help,
Use “on” with a complete date: The first telephone directory was issued on February 21, 1878…
If you daughter is writing a journalism article, the word “on” is omitted before dates, as specified by the “Associated Press Stylebook,” which is the bible of journalism writing.
Yes, newspapers are always looking to save space where they can. For other formal writing, such as a report for school, we still recommend including “on.”
What about the use of dates as adjectives? I’ve seen conflicting guidance on whether a comma should follow a date when it’s used as a adjective: the July 2, 2010, meeting or the July 2, 2010 meeting.
the July 2, 2010, meeting
Always use commas.
I want to make sure that I understand this correctly…
A full month-day-year date always requires commas before and after the year (that is, unless the date appears at the end of a sentence: e.g., “She will attend the meeting on October 15, 2012.”). This is always the case regardless of how the date is being used. For instance, even if the date is being used as an adjective, commas are still required to be placed before and after the year. As such:
Incorrect: “I need a copy of your April 17, 2012 presentation
on the new company policies.”
Correct: “I need a copy of your April 17, 2012, presentation
on the new company policies.”
Did I get it right? I’ve been struggling with this particular comma rule for some time now, and I’d really appreciate it if you could let me know if I finally understand it. Thank you.
Yes, our Comma rule 5a states, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year and after the year.” The Chicago Manual of Style does acknowledge that when dates are used as adjectives, the construction is awkward and is best avoided. A better wording of your sentence might be “I need a copy of your presentation of April 17, 2012, on the new company policies.”
When a date is used in a title do you still use a comma after the year?
Approval of the Minutes for the April 24, 2014 Regular Board Meeting
this is a title I use regularly on agendas. Can you review and make suggestions?
thank you!
Yes, a comma is needed after the year. The rest of the title is fine.
What is the correct way to express yearly quarters? Is using roman numerals correct? For example IQ2010, IIQ2010, or is the correct way to use numbers 1Q2010? Do you need to express the year completely or would IQ10 work?
This is a style question. I am not sure of the best answer. I looked up your question in The Chicago Manual of Style but couldn’t find the answer after approximately 30 minutes of searching. Let me know what you find out!
I am confused about punctuating dates in sentences. Should a comma be placed before “as of September 30, 2010” in the following sentence?
Example: We recomputed totals to determine whether the general ledger trial balance was in balance as of September 30, 2010.
And one more question…Should commas be placed after the word “period” and after “June 30, 2010” in the following sentence?
Example: For purchases and sales of investments during the period July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 we traced purchases and sales to posting in their respective bank accounts.
What is the general rule of thumb for comma placement of dates within sentences? It seems the rules have changed since I’ve been in school!
With a complete date, place a comma before and after the year.
…during the period July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, we traced….
You do not need a comma in front of expressions such as “as of.”
In several places, particularly around October 2010, you state that when writing a date inside a sentence (with material following it), there should be a comma after the year: “The meeting is scheduled for July 4, 2012, at the Veteran’s Hall.”
Why is this considered correct. One wouldn’t put a comma if ONLY the year was included … or would one? “The meeting is scheduled for 2012 at the Hall.” This wouldn’t look correct with a comma after the year.
It seems to me that the only reason we put a comma after the day part of a date is for clarity when we write the date in the English way. But other Europeans write it as “30 May 2012”. In that case, is there a comma after the year? That would seem incorrect to me.
It seems to me that a date (whether whole or partial) is like any other word: “May 30, 2012”. We don’t put commas after other words — it seems wrong to write: “I went to the basketball game, at the Veteran’s Hall.”
A comma, after all, is punctuation. Why should we punctuate something that is continuous?
The Chicago Manual of Style (6.45) says, “In the month-day-year style of dates, commas must be used to set off the year. In the day-month-year system—useful in material that requires many full dates (and standard in British English)—no commas are needed. Where month and year only are given, or a specific day (such as a holiday) with a year, neither system uses a comma.” We do not always understand the exact reasons for all of the punctuation rules, we just do our best to try to adhere to them.
The proper punctuation of two similar sentences in a financial statement was a matter of great and vigorous debate for over an hour. Please provide your best advice on the proper presentation of these two sentences.
It isncluded in the consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015.
In this instance one group believes the 2016 should
be followed by a comma as the successive date also
is a full date Month, Date and Year.
The alternate group believes the use of a comma
is optional for the year 2016
It is included in the consolidated statements of operations for three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015.
In this instance one group believes the 2016 should
not be followed by a comma as the successive date
is not a full date Month, Date and Year.
The alternate group believes the use of a comma
is not required after the year 2016.
One group desires for the presentation to not be a distraction and thus should look consistent on the page with no further preference – comma in or comma out.
Thank you kindly as we have agreed you are the most qualified in this matter and someone in whom we will place our trust.
Our Rule 9 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.” Therefore, include a comma after the year 2016 in your first example. We cannot comment on your second example. We are not clear on the meaning and recommend a rewrite.
If a title has only the month and the year, do you put a comma between them? In this example, which would be correct, May, 2017 or May 2017? Also, if there is a month, year and time, would it be: “May, 2017, 4:57 a.m.” or “May, 2017 4:57 a.m.”?
It does not make sense to us to state a specific time written with only a month and year and no day specified.
May 2017
May 14, 2017, 4:57 a.m.
I have a question when to make hour or day plural.
Is the following correct:
“Join for 24 hours, 30 days or a year.”
How about:
“There are three membership options: 24-hour, 30-day or annual.”
Two other examples:
“Is there a security deposit taken when I become a 24-hour member?”
“Will my unlocking code work for 24 hours?”
Thanks very much for your help.
Wouldn’t 24 hours simply indicate that the place never closes rather than the length of the membership? The other options are fine.
Why wouldn’t you just say, “Join for a day, a month, or a year.”
I know it is correct to put a comma after the year when writing a date like January 1, 2001, in a sentence. There is a variation that I have not found addressed online or in the Chicago Manual of Style. Does a comma follow the day numeral in a sentence? For example: “The drawing will be held on Sunday, December 19, in the auditorium.”
Without the year following, no comma is necessary after the date.
Example: The drawing will be held on Sunday, December 19 in the auditorium.
However, because you are following the date with a prepositional phrase, you may use the comma after the date.
What if the sentence were: “There will be a meeting on Sunday, December 19 if you’d like to attend.” Would there be a comma after December 19?
Our Rule 5b of Commas states, “If any part of the date is omitted, leave out the comma.” Since the year is omitted, leave out the comma.
I have a question about commas and non-essential clauses in AP Style. Would a mention of the day, date and proceeding noun make the date a non-essential clause? For example:
She did not attend the Sunday, June 3, fundraiser.
In this case, both “Sunday fundraiser” and “June 3 fundraiser” could operate as separate noun phrases. “Sunday” and “June 3” are set beside each other to further identify and explain each other. Thus, being in apposition, you are correct that grammatically they would be set off with commas: Sunday, June 3, fundraiser
What about if I was writing a period, for example:
We will be there at the conference from the 15th – 19th of November, 2010.
How would you write this?
Thanks
The Chicago Manual of Style‘s rule (6.78) says, “For the sake of parallel construction, the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from precedes the first element in such a pair; similarly, and, never the en dash, should be used if between precedes the first element.” Therefore, “We will be there at the conference from the 15th to the 19th of November, 2010” is correct. However, if the sentence is reworded to remove the word from preceding the date, it could be written as “We will be there at the conference November 15–19, 2010.”
This is in response to a question about whether it’s okay to write that a meeting is held “from the 15th – 17th of August” (or something to that effect — as I’m typing this, the message I’m replying to isn’t showing up). You said the punctuation was fine as is. The phrasing isn’t, though. If you say “from” you need to follow it with “to,” not with a dash or hyphen. So in this case they’d need to say “from the 15th to the 17th of August.” If they don’t want to use that many words, they need to rephrase it and say that the meeting will be “held August 15-17.” (Ideally they’d use an en-dash rather than a hyphen.)
Thank you for reminding us about Chicago Manual of Style‘s rule (6.78) which says, “For the sake of parallel construction, the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from precedes the first element in such a pair; similarly, and, never the en dash, should be used if between precedes the first element.” It was a challenge finding it, but we corrected our error from December 2, 2010.
Will you please tell me the proper way to punctuate this:
The clerk was suspended on Monday, January 2, 2011, and Tuesday, January 03, 2011.
The clerk was suspended on Monday, January 2, 2011, and Tuesday, January 3, 2011.
To make sure that your numbering is consistent, drop the “0” in the second date.
Another thought… could you write it as:
The clerk was suspended on Monday, 01/02/11, and Tuesday, 01/03/11.
The Chicago Manual of Style (9.36) suggests, “For practical reasons, all-numeral styles of writing dates (5/10/99, etc.) should not be used in formal writing (except with certain dates that may be known that way: e.g., 9/11, for September 11, 2001).”
In regards to date, time, and location:
Sentence structure:
The meeting will be held on Saturday, December 14, at 7 p.m., at the Longmont Campus.
Should a comma be after the date and after the time?
I would recommend adding the year to your sentence, as well as stating the time as “7:00 p.m.” rather than “7 p.m.”
The meeting will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., at the Longmont Campus.
How would you handle time on a split line?
For example, is the below correct?
“John was hoping to be able to purchase a ticket for the 10:00
AM train to Portland.”
I would recommend not splitting the time at the end of a line.
“John was hoping to be able to purchase a ticket for the
10:00 A.M. train to Portland.”
Sheould there be a comma after the year when stating a specific date, year and time of day?
With a complete date, place a comma before and after the year.
The conference will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 1:00 P.M.
There’s nothing so embarrassing as submitting a question containing a typo to a grammer site! (See my previous submission.)
We hope you do not embarrass easily because your last comment also contains a typo: grammar (not grammer)!
We have a meeting on June 30.
How do we pronounce ’30’ here? I’ve read that is pronounced differently (like June thirtieth, even if it’s 30).
Is it correct?
Thanks!
Even though it is written June 30, it is acceptable to pronounce it June 30th.
I would find out how would we phrase a sentence with 2 dates eg lessons will be held from 10 Jul 2011 to 20 Jul 2011 or lessons will be held on 10 Jul 2011 to 20 Jul 2011.
The correct usage in US format would be:
Lessons will be held from July 10-20, 2011 OR
Lessons will be held from July 10 through July 20, 2011.
The correct usage in European format would be:
Lessons will be held from 10 Jul 2011 to 20 Jul 2011.
If I were to write
” The 1st of April…” should it be a smaller st or a standard type st ?
Standard type is fine. Some word processing programs will automatically change this to a smaller font and make it a superscript as well.
I scanned but did not see this issue.
Which of these formats is proper?
March 2010 or March, 2010 – as in “… and matures in March, 2010.”
Thanks
When only the month and year are given, a comma is not used.
“Matures in March 2010” would be the correct usage.
For a presentation document that is to specify the month and year alone, how is that written? Some say: June, 2011. I say June 2011. What is the rule?
You are correct. It should be written “June 2011.” According to the Chicago Manual of Style (6.45), “Where month and year only are given, or a specific day (such as a holiday) with a year, neither system uses a comma.”
I am always confused when using both a date and a time in a sentence. Some of the above cleared that up, but I am still confused about using a time range.
The church picnic will be on July 18th at 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Am I close or do I have a way to go? I really would prefer not to have to use a year because it seems a little useless since these reminders usually go out in emails a couple days before the event.
Yes, you are very close! All you have to do is change the word at to from.
The church picnic will be held on July 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
I am writing a critique of a tutorial which is on video. When referring to parts of the video in minutes and seconds should I write at 4:30 or 4’30”? Or is there a better way of expressing this?
Thanks.
The best way to express “four minutes, thirty seconds” would be 00:04:30. It is important to use eight numerals to indicate hours:minutes:seconds when referring to time in video.
I am writing a sentence which reads, “I rode in one of your taxis from
La Guardia Airport to the Marriott Marquis Hotel for a 2:00 p.m. appointment.”
Is the time written correctly?
Yes, it is written correctly. You could also write 2:00 PM or 2:00 P.M.
Is this sentence correct:
“Please join us in the conference room tomorrow at 2:30 p.m., for birthday cake.”
Thanks.
The comma is not necessary.
When referring to a date such as September 25th, 2011 and the th is superscript, should the comma after the th be superscript also? Thank you.
No, the comma would not be superscript. Also, as shown in Rule 9 of Writing Numbers, the date should be referred to as either September 25, 2011, or as the 25th of September, 2011.
is this correct?
The task in the scanner lasted 20 min. 50 sec. (I am not sure whether to write minutes, mins. I am also not sure if I need to connect 20 min. 50 sec. with a word, such as, and.
AP Stylebook recommends spelling out hours, minutes, and seconds. You would not need a word to connect the minutes and seconds. Therefore, “The task in the scanner lasted 20 minutes 50 seconds.”
Is this sentence correct? I am not sure if I need to put a comma when i make a comparison.
On the contrary, accuracy was significantly lower in the R condition(,?) than in the NR condition
Table 1 and Figure 4 present regions that where active for each of the two experimental conditions, as compared to the empty trials.
I cannot find a solution to this grammar problem anywhere. Thank you.
There is no particular rule about commas when making comparisons; it’s more according to the flow of the sentence. There is no need for a comma after the word condition in the first sentence or the word conditions in the second sentence. Also in the second sentence, you probably wanted the word were rather than where.
I’m still learning English now, I have some questions.
1. how to write 7.15 AM in letters, is it a quarter pass seven or a quarter past seven?
2. How to mention 14.00 in letters. is it Two PM or Fourteen O’clock?
Maybe it sounds silly but it is confusing me. Thanks a lot.
According to Rule 12 of Writing Numbers, “Normally, spell out the time of day in text even with half and quarter hours. With o’clock, the number is always spelled out.”
Rule 13 says, “Use numerals with the time of day when exact times are being emphasized or when using A.M. or P.M.”
Therefore, 7:15 A.M. would be correct. (“A quarter past seven in the morning” could be used for informal writing.) For your second example, you could write either 2:00 P.M. or two o’clock in the afternoon.
I have a question on a date range. I want to write “… through September 08 – September 24.” I don’t want to write ‘September’ twice. Which is correct (if any): “September 08-24” or “September 08 – 24”?
The first seems, to me, that it can be confused with August 24 (08-24) as some people write dates this way. I would personally prefer the latter, but would like to know the correct way.
Thank you!
Regarding my above comment, I wanted to add another option, for possible clarification.
“September 08th – 24th”
“September 08th-24th”
“September 8th-24th”
I don’t like leaving off the “0” before a single digit date, but if there is no “rule” about it, then I suppose it doesn’t matter (please specify).
Also, please comment on the hyphen placement and spacing, as well as possibly abbreviating the month (“Sep 08th – 24th”).
Thank you!
According to the section on Dashes in the tenth edition of The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, an en dash, roughly the width of an n, is a little longer than a hyphen. It is used for periods of time when you might otherwise use the word to. Most authorities recommend using no spaces before or after en or em dashes. To form an en dash with most PCs, type the first number or word, then hold down the ALT key while typing 0150 on the numerical pad on the right side of your keyboard. Then type the second number or word.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used.” Therefore, a “0” before a single digit date would not be used, nor would you use “th.”
Regarding abbreviations, AP Stylebook says, ” When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone.”
September 8–24 or Sept. 8–24 would be correct.
We have a situation here at work and it has been a constant problem with someone who “knows it all.” She said that a comma should always go after a date that goes ex: January 1, 2011. So, could you tell me if the following have the correct punctuation:
1. At the August 20, 2011 Board meeting, we decided to vote for a new design.
2. The Commission approved the April 6, 2011 Meeting Minutes.
3. Authorize execution of the agreement between the District, the City, and Disposal Services, Inc., for the contract period of July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, for the cost of not to exceed the annual amount of $35,629.20.
4. The March 14, 2005 issue of Business Week is going to have a cover story on our CEO.
We are not sure if that person at work “knows it all” or not, but she does know the rule that applies in this situation. According to Rule 5a under the “Commas” section, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year and after the year.” Therefore, there should be commas after the years in each of your four sentences.
I read Comma rule 5a, and it doesn’t discuss when the date is used as an adjective. In all of the examples, the year (according to me) should not have a comma since one never puts a comma between an adjective and the noun it modifies: a young boy is not: a young,boy. Why do it after the year…I disagree. 5a doesn’t specify date as adjective. Can you find out more specifics on this situation? Thank you, Rochelle
The Chicago Manual of Style says, “Dates are often used as descriptive adjectives, more often today than in years past. If a month-year or month-day date is used as an adjective, no hyphen or comma is needed {October 31 festivities} {December 2003 financial statement}. If a full month-day-year date is used, then a comma is considered necessary both before and after the year {the May 18, 2002, commencement ceremonies}. ” They do, however, acknowledge that the construction is awkward and is best avoided. Therefore, Carmen could rewrite these sentences as follows:
At the Board meeting on August 20, 2011, we decided to vote for a new design.
The Commission approved the meeting minutes of April 6, 2011.
The Business Week issue of March 14, 2005, is going to have a cover story on our CEO.
This sentence is correct as written (except for a couple minor edits to the final phrase for readability):
Authorize execution of the agreement between the District, the City, and Disposal Services, Inc., for the contract period of July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012, for a cost not to exceed an annual amount of $35,629.20.
In the sentence below, can the date be written as with or without the year?
The next one is Friday, May 17.
As long as the year is clearly understood, you may write the date that way with or without the year.
I wanted to ask that when do we use “the” before the date??
You would use the word “the” before an ordinal number when referring to a date, such as in the following examples:
The bill is due on the 15th of every month.
She was born on the 29th of July.
I am producing a marketing leaflet and would like to advertise that the service is available “24 hours per day, 7 days per week”. I have been told by the person approving the leaflet that the number seven needs to be spelled out. I understand that commonly numbers under 10 are spelled, but given that it’s within a sentence and is a commonly used term, it doesn’t seem right to me!
Grammatically, “24 hours per day, seven days per week” is correct. In the English Rules “Writing Numbers” section of this website, Rule 1 says, “Spell out single-digit whole numbers. Use numerals for numbers greater than nine.”
Rule 2 advises, “Be consistent within a category. For example, if you choose numerals because one of the numbers is greater than nine, use numerals for all numbers in that category. If you choose to spell out numbers because one of the numbers is a single digit, spell out all numbers in that category. If you have numbers in different categories, use numerals for one category and spell out the other.”
Since “24” refers to hours and “7” refers to days, “24 hours per day, seven days per week” is correct. I suspect that the reason this does not seem right to you is because of the frequent use of the phrase “24/7” written that way in informal English.
When writing a date should the month/day/ year ever be separated from each other on to the next line?
Ex.
We went on vacation June
30, 2011.
or
We went on vacation June 30,
2011.
We don’t particularly like the look of dates carried over to the next line. However, we have not found any definitive resources that address this situation. The Chicago Manual of Style has an extensive section on word division but does not address dates at all. The only website we found that addresses this is businesswriting.com which notes, “Do not separate parts of dates, proper names, or addresses.”
Another comma question …
Which of the following is correct?
Join us Tuesday, October 11 at 2 PM.
or
Join us Tuesday, October 11, at 2 PM.
I understand using PM is not preferred to p.m. (lowercase previously was my preference).
If a part of the date is omitted, you may leave out the comma. Since the year is missing from your date, you do not need a comma after the date. You do need a comma after Tuesday. We would recommend the use of complete numerals when exact times are being emphasized.
Join us Tuesday, October 11 at 2:00 PM. (We recommend using a.m. and p.m. but AM and PM may also be used.)
A colleague is insisting that it is correct to document in a legal record the time of 12:14 AM. This time of course is really fourteen minutes past midnight, if you don’t document time in a 24 hour method them how would you document the time 14 minutes past midnight? Thank you.
Fourteen minutes past midnight is 12:14 AM.
how would i write out a period of time e.g 4 hours and 43 mins.. in short form..
AP Stylebook recommends spelling out time sequences: 4 hours, 43 minutes.
Could we add time zones? What is the proper way to punctuate the following?
1) We are open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. P.S.T.
2) We are open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. P.S.T.
3) Same as 1) using “9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.”
4) Same as 2) using “9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.”
5) Should I consider using “Monday through Friday” instead of “Monday – Friday?”
6) We are available Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. P.S.T. to serve you.
This is for a business web page, but would it be different in other contexts?
Time zones, where needed, are usually given in parentheses and do not use periods. The en dash is most often used with numbers and signifies up to and including (or through). Also, Chicago Manual of Style states, “For the sake of parallel construction, the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from precedes the first element in such a pair.” A.M. and P.M., AM and PM, and a.m. and p.m., are all acceptable but we prefer a.m. and p.m. For a business web page or any other context, all of the following are grammatically correct:
We are open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PST).
We are open Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PST).
We are open seven days a week, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (PST).
We are open Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (PST).
We are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (PST).
We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (PST) to serve you.
Is it proper to say “5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.” or “5:00-7:00 p.m.”?
An en dash, roughly the width of an n, is a little longer than a hyphen. It is used to signify up to and including (or through). Most authorities recommend using no spaces before or after an en dash. To form an en dash with most PCs, type the first number or word, then hold down the ALT key while typing 0150 on the numerical pad on the right side of your keyboard. Then type the second number or word.
Either 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. or 5:00–7:00 p.m. are correct.
I think em dashes were accidentally used here in your reply. Thanks for all your wonderful information!
You are welcome. Thank you for pointing out our typographical error. Rather than changing the em dashes to en dashes, we have changed them to hyphens. This reflects our new rule from the eleventh edition of The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation which says, “When using numbers, hyphenate spans or estimates of time, distance, or other quantities.”
My question is do you treat an abbrevited year the same as you would as if it was written out?
Her deposition was taken sometime in March ’06.
Is there a comma between March and ’06? (March, ’06) I cannot add “of” after in as I’m transcribing part of a hearing so I cannot add or subtract any words. I have to work with what they say but I do add punctuation.
Rule 9 in the Commas section of the English Rules on our website states, “No comma is necessary for just the month and year.” This would also apply to an abbreviated year. The Chicago Manual of Style does not recommend the use of the abbreviated year except in informal contexts.
Her deposition was taken some time in March ’06. (informal)
Her deposition was taken some time in March 2006.
Is it grammatically correct to write 2012 as ‘012?
The Chicago Manual of Style says, “In informal contexts, the first two digits of a particular year are often replaced by an apostrophe (not an opening single quotation mark).” Therefore, it is acceptable to write ’12 in an informal context.
When using a date to reference a report, is is always necessary to put a comma between the month and the year for example:
Report of Dogs, December 2012
or
Report of Dogs, December, 2012
When only the month and year are given, a comma is not used.
Do you require a comma when writing the date with ‘st’ or ‘nd’?
Please respond by April 21st 2012
or
Please respond by April 21st, 2012
You may infer from our Rule 9 of Writing Numbers that you should not add the st when writing dates in that format. The Chicago Manual of Style states, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used although these may be pronounced as ordinals. Therefore, when you write a specific date, do not add st or th.”
Please respond by April 21, 2012. Alternatively, you may write: Please respond by the 21st of April, 2012.
How do you write 10:30 on an invitation? Is it:
A) “Ten Thirty”
or
B) “Ten-Thirty”
“Ten thirty” is correct.
How to abbreviate 1st Qtr. What is the correct way to use on a spread sheet?
We do not know if there is any particular “correct way,” but you could write Q1.
Do you use a comma after a date when the year is not used? For example: You are invited to attend Parent Night on February 9, to learn more about North Carolina’s new high school program, Career and College Promise.
No comma is needed.
I’ve noticed that you advise people that it is AP Style to write full hours like this: 3:00 p.m. Actually, that has never been AP Style. It is AP Style to use only the number for whole hours, i.e. 3 p.m., and 3:15 p.m. for the hour and exact minutes. Thanks. I’m a former AP journalist.
Thank you for your clarification. The AP Stylebook does recommend using only the number for whole hours. It is The Chicago Manual of Style that recommends using zeros for even hours when exact times are emphasized, e.g., “The train leaves at 5:00 p.m.”
How to you write exact time with the date? Which of the following is correct (in the subtitle card for a movie)
London, 18:40 on April 13, 2013
London, 18:40 April 13, 2013
London, 18:40 April 13 2013
Thanks!
Your choices include an American date format with the twenty-four-hour system, which is not commonly used in the United States. We recommend one of the following:
London, 6:40 PM on April 13, 2013 (standard usage in the United States)
London, 18:40 on 2013-04-13 (ISO usage outside the U.S.)
How do you write the following dates correctly on an invoice for dates work performed?
1/1/12 – 1/17/12 or 1/1 – 1/17.
also:
1/1/12 & 1/2/12 or 1/1 & 1/2.
We recommend that the year be included on an invoice.
1/1/12–1/17/12
1/1/12 & 1/2/12
WHICH IS CORRECT: ONE AND A HALF YEAR OR ONE YEAR AND A HALF?
Rule 5 of the Writing Numbers section of our website tells us that One and one-half years is preferred in formal writing, especially if starting a sentence. If not the beginning of a sentence, “I have worked at my job for 1 1/2 years” is acceptable.
Writing Dates on Invitations?
Saturday, May 1st
7-10pm
123 Main Street
Washington, DC
Kindly reply by April 20th
is the above correct or do we delete the st and th?
As shown in Rule 9 of Writing Numbers, the dates should be referred to as either May 1 and April 20, or as the 1st of May and the 20th of April.
Which is correct? Failure to appear AT the above date and time may result….
or
Failure to appear ON the above date and time may result….
ON seems to work for the word “date” , but AT seems to work for the word time.
Since the word date appears first, we recommend using on.
Failure to appear on the above date and time may result…
Which is correct?
9:00 o’clock a.m.
or just 9:00 a.m.
Aren’t they saying the same thing? One is more formal than the other?
Is the first one redundant?
The first one is redundant.
If the spoken word is I got home at 6. What is the proper written terms?
or I got home at 6 o’clock. What is the proper written terms?
You could write I got home at six o’clock. However, if you want to clarify whether it is 6:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m., use numerals. I got home at 6:00 p.m.
When we hire an employee who has pre-scheduled vacations, we incorporate those dates into their offer letter. Could you please clarify the correct way to write the dates?
Here is an example that was provided to me:
“As we discussed, you are approved for time off with-out pay for the following dates for prescheduled vacations July 4, – 8, 2012, and August 15, – 17, 2012.”
Thank you!
You do not need to use an extra comma before the en dash. There should be a colon after the word vacations. Also, the word without is not hyphenated. Since this is a formal document, you may wish to use previously scheduled instead of prescheduled.
As we discussed, you are approved for time off without pay for the following dates for previously scheduled vacations: July 4–8, 2012, and August 15–17, 2012.
Which of these two sentences is correct?
June 30, 2012, is the date the paper is due.
June 30, 2012 is the date the paper is due.
Rule 9 of the Commas section of our website says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.” A more direct sentence could be, “The paper is due June 30, 2012.”
Is it ever correct to use the abbreviation “hrs” to indicate a time, for instance, on an agenda:
“09.00 – 10.00 hrs – minutes of previous meeting”?
If one is taking minutes for a meeting, the correct format for your example would be 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. There would be no reason to use the word hours unless you were speaking about a time frame such as “The meeting lasted two hours.” However, if you are in the military, you would express the time as 0900–1000 or 0900–1000 hrs. Adding the abbreviation hrs would be optional for clarity.
When saying such a sentace … “At 19:51 on 24th September 2012”, should you or can you use the word hrs after the time?
Somebody has peer reviewed a report that I have written and have made a suggestion for me to add this… although I think it is because he used to use it in the forces!
Thanks
The Chicago Manual of Style says, “In the twenty-four-hour system of expressing time (used in Europe and in the military), four digits always appear, often with no punctuation between hours and minutes.
1200 = noon
2400 or 0000 = midnight
0001 = 12:01 a.m.
1438 = 2:38 p.m.
At 1500 hours (or 1500h) we started off on our mission.
General quarters sounded at 0415.”
We interpret this to mean that use of the word hours is optional, however, you may want to consult a European style manual.
I asked the question above about time zones (11/4/11). Thanks for your answer! This is a follow-up.
I subsequently decided to use the words “Pacific Time” in parentheses similarly to the way you use “PST” in your answer. (I dropped the “S” because my business hours vary between between PST and PDT along with everyone else’s.)
Then I looked at the Chicago Manual of Style and discovered that while “Pacific” is treated as a proper name and capitalized, both “standard” and “time” are not. So it would be “Pacific standard time” and, for example, EST would be “eastern standard time.” One would presumably put these in parentheses.
So I gather that one would write:
We are open seven days a week from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Pacific standard time).
My question is whether this is correct? I have never noticed another case in which the Chicago Manual of Style seems to be so at odds with common usage. Even the American Heritage Dictionary entry for Eastern Standard Time has all three words capitalized and mentions that it is “also called Eastern Time.”
Thanks!
AP Stylebook seems to agree with you. Their rule says, “Capitalize the full name of the time in force within a particular zone: Eastern Standard Time, Eastern Daylight Time, Central Standard Time, etc.” In the end it is up to you to decide which style manual to follow and then be consistent. It may be easier to stick with the abbreviation.
If you were to leave out the day (Saturday) in the following example, would you still need to include a comma after the year?
The conference will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 1:00 P.M.
The deadline to submit a proposal is February 4, 2012 at 1:00 P.M.
Yes (see Rule 9 of Commas).
The deadline to submit a proposal is February 4, 2012, at 1:00 P.M.
Just wondering which of these is correct;
Join us on Monday the 17th of March…
or
Join us on Monday 17th March…
Thanks.
Since there is a natural tendency to pause slightly after the word Monday when your sentence is spoken, we recommend “Join us on Monday, the 17th of March.” However, since there is no hard and fast rule on this, “Join us on Monday the 17th of March” also is acceptable. Even better would be rephrasing the sentence to “Join us on Monday, March 17.”
In addressing the year for e.g. Year 2000 at the end of a sentence, “…the company was established in 2000”. Should it be “…established in the year 2000”? or just “in 2000”?
It is clearer for the reader if you write “established in the year 2000,” but “established in 2000” is acceptable.
Ok, thank you…
How about the use of the word “the” in dates, specifically when spoken?
I hear people say “March the 31st.”
“March the 31st” is common and acceptable in spoken English. In the context of a written sentence, however, we recommend either “The meeting will be held on the 31st of March” or “The meeting will be held on March 31,” as per Rule 9 of Writing Numbers.
is it correct?
An allegation that you abandoned your duties during a rostered shift at your place of work London on 7th April 2012.
also what should be the order of following in a sentence
at (place) on (date) at (time)
Your example is not a complete sentence. Also, th is not used with a complete date.
The sentence could be: There is an allegation (or, An allegation has been lodged) that you abandoned your duties during a rostered shift at your place of work in London on April 7, 2012. (In many locations outside the United States the date may be expressed as 7 April, 2012.)
There are no particular rules regarding the order of place, date, time in a sentence other than what flows most logically.
If the rule states that dates should be 29th of June or June 29, why is that just about everyone, even in the media, writes June 29th and sometimes they even write it June 29th, 2012. Have the rules changed?
No, the rules have not changed. Not everyone (including the media) is as conscientious as you are when it comes to proper grammar.
I was always taught the correct way to write a date was: December 7, 1941. Not December 7th, 1941 or November 3rd, 2012.
So why do people now add the “th” or “rd” after the day in the date?
And also people who are not aware uh-uh is a word in the dictionary. As a person who was a court reporter with Los Angeles Superior Court for over 20 years and who now does scoping for court reporters, I constantly see uh-uh spelled as huh-uh or ungh-uh, which looks like the sound of some root-eating animal snorting.
Perhaps all the people who grew up learning to read and write by spelling things as they sounded, which method has long fallen out of favor. And many people are just lazy and would rather die than look up a word in a dictionary or even to Google something to learn how a word is spelled.
You are correct about the proper way to write the date. People are likely writing th and rd (along with nd, st) because they are not differentiating between spoken and proper written English. It would be nice if the use of Internet search engines as well as dictionaries on the Internet resulted in better spelling by everyone.
What is the correct way to write the following month/year when a specific date is not provided?
Is it April, 2012 or April 2012?
If only the month and year are shown, do not separate with a comma.
In business writing, is it proper to reference the date of a report as, 1/12/09, or should it be spelled out?
Spell the date out in formal writing.
Can’t believe I have a third question about time zones! And I can’t believe the length and complexity of this thread! Thanks so much, Jane!
How would you write the following: Our week begins at 12:00 a.m. (Pacific Time) Monday and ends at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) Sunday. Weekly invoices must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday. Invoice amounts will be available by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) Wednesday each week.
If you were writing this for people in different time zones, I wonder:
1) Where would you put the parenthetical time zone references?
2) Do I have to keep repeating “(Pacific Time)?”
3) Where could I put “(Pacific Time)” to have the smallest number of repetitions?
Thanks again!
I am having a lot of confusion with comma’s in dates. Can you please properly punctuate the following:
1. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010 the balance was zero.
(do you use a comma after 2011 or 2010 or not at all?)
2. As of December 31, 2011 or 2010 the District did not have any investments.
3. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010 $0 of the funds balance was exposed to risk.
Thank You
Your sentences are confusing as written. Normally, as of is used in place of on, at, or from in relation to a single specific date, not several dates. Since you are dealing with financial matters, you would be better off rewriting the sentences such that there can be no confusion. Our Rule 9 of Commas states, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also,” and “No comma is necessary for just the month and year.” Some potential revisions, depending on your exact meaning, could be:
“The balance was zero on both December 31, 2010, and December 31, 2011.” Perhaps this could also be written as “The balance was zero on December 31 of both 2010 and 2011.”
“The District did not have any investments on either December 31, 2010, or December 31, 2011.” OR “The District did not have any investments on December 31 of either 2010 or 2011.”
“None of the fund’s balance was exposed to risk in 2010 or 2011.”
Unfortunately, due to state regulations, we have to write them as stated and different towns have it written different ways so I was just trying to get some clarification, hence the reason for my confusion. Thank you for your input.
P.S. If you can do something with the “weekly” and “each week,” that would be great too!
The time zones are essential information, therefore we recommend not placing them in parentheses. You could repeat them or, alternatively, word it this way:
All times referred to are Pacific Time. (Alternatively: All times referred to are Pacific Standard Time or Pacific Daylight Time, as appropriate.) Our week begins at 12:00 a.m. each Monday and ends at 11:59 p.m. each Sunday. Weekly invoices must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. each Monday. Invoice amounts will be available by 11:59 p.m. each Wednesday.
Here’s situation that I come across regularly. It may come up regarding a series of events spanning multiple months, for instance “March 4, 11, 18 and 25, and April 1, 8 and 15, 2012.”
It looks somewhat odd with when it is something such as “March 18 and 25, and April 1.”
Would that be the proper way to punctuate the dates?
There is no one perfect way to do this; you have choices. Here are possibilities using our Rule 1 for Commas, Rule 3 for Semicolons, or just different wording.
March 4, 11, 18, and 25; April 1, 8, and 15, 2012 OR
Each Sunday from March 4 through April 15, 2012. OR
Though cumbersome, grammatically correct: March 4, March 11, March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8, and April 15, 2012
March 18, 25, and April 1 is probably fine since there are only three items in the series. OR
Each Sunday, March 18 through April 1. OR
March 18, March 25, and April 1
Oh, and I might add the construction: “March 31, April 7, 14 and 21.” Or should it be: “March 31 and April 7, 14 and 21″?
March 31; April 7, 14, and 21 OR
March 31, April 7, April 14, and April 21 OR
Each Saturday from March 31 through April 21
Great! Thanks for the help.
Do you put a comma after the month in a sentence like this: …since the 2nd of September 2011.
Yes, you do need to put a comma after the month.
I need some help, please. Some examples (commas in time setences):
a) “Three hours, five minutes, thirty-five seconds ago, I went…”
b) “Comment posted 3 hours, 4 minutes, 35 seconds ago.”
c) “That game lasted three hours, four minutes, (and) 35 seconds” or “That game lasted three hours five minutes 35 seconds” or “That game lasted 3 hours 5 minutes 35 seconds”
d) “Remaining time to close: 3 hours, 4 minutes, 35 seconds”
Are all this examples correct or acceptable?
Thank you very much.
AP Stylebook recommends spelling out time sequences and using commas. They do not address the use of and directly. Their one example of time sequences is “Spell out: 50 hours, 23 minutes, 14 seconds.” It is up to the writer as there is no rule against using and. It seems like and would be best used in examples a and c, which sound more like conversational sentences. Examples b and d sound like something that would be posted on a website rather than used in spoken English.
Three hours, five minutes, and thirty-five seconds ago I went…
Comment posted three hours, four minutes, thirty-five seconds ago.
That game lasted three hours, four minutes, and thirty-five seconds.
Remaining time to close: three hours, four minutes, thirty-five seconds
5 days a week;
5 day a week;
5 day week;
which one is correct?
You need to use a plural noun, therefore, 5 days a week is correct.
Or you could use five-day week. In both cases since the number is under ten, it needs to be spelled out.
Your comments are valid. We had to provide a response without knowing the full context. We did not suggest five-day week (or 5-day week) as we assumed this phrase was part of a larger whole that would have been consistent with the first two phrases offered, such as “Joe goes to work five days a week.” Also, if there are no other mentions of days in this context, then the number should be written out as five. However, if this is followed by another phrase, such as “Joe goes to work 5 days a week, 260 days a year,” consistency would allow us to either write both numbers out or as numerals.
If the spoken word is “I work 9 to 5 or sometimes 2 to 10”. Which way should it be written?
I work nine to five or sometimes two to ten? OR
I work 9:00 to 5:00 or sometimes 2:00 to 10:00?
I was always taught that 2:00 would imply that o’clock was spoken when the time was given. I don’t know which it should be.
You are correct that “2:00” would imply that o’clock is spoken. Times of day in even, half, and quarter hours are usually spelled out in text. I work nine to five or sometimes two to ten. Since it is a common expression, “9 to 5” is often written in numerals.
I apologize if you have answered this question already. Is a comma required between a plural day of the week and the dates? Example: Sundays May 20 – June 17, 2012 Thank you.
There is no particular rule covering this construction, but it is easier to read with a comma: Sundays, May 20–June 17, 2012. Note that most authorities recommend not using spaces before or after the en dash. However, your phrase might be more clear rewritten as:
Sundays, from May 20 through June 17, 2012.
My question concerns dates as written on formal invitations. Today is Friday, May 11, 2012. I understand the part about writing it in words as Friday, May eleventh. My question is why is the year written as two thousand and twelve? What is wrong with two thousand twelve? We are taught in math that adding the word “and” between numbers indicates a decimal.
In British English, the year is pronounced two thousand and twelve rather than the American English form two thousand twelve. Americans often consider British English more formal, therefore you will often see British spellings appear in invitations, especially wedding invitations. It is up to the bride and groom to choose the exact wording they prefer.
I wanted to know if this was written correctly.
“Per our conversion, I wanted to check the availability of these dates for vacation: Aug 20-23.”
Thank you.
Abbreviations are not recommended in formal writing. Also, instead of a hyphen, use an en dash. An en dash, roughly the width of an n, is a little longer than a hyphen. It is used for periods of time when you might otherwise use to. To form an en dash with most PCs, type the first number or word, then hold down the ALT key while typing 0150 on the numerical pad on the right side of your keyboard. Then type the second number or word.
Per our conversion, I wanted to check the availability of these dates for vacation: August 20–23.
We have all of these grammar rules for dates and times, and yet, on the top of each comment, there is incorrect comma usage. For example, the post before mine appears, “May 9, 2012 at 5:25 am.” It should appear with a comma between the year and word at. It would be correct to have “May 9, 2012, at 5:25 am.” Unfourtunately, this is probably a programming issue, but it really should be fixed. Since you are talking about grammar and punctuation, this basic punctuation rule being broke downgrades your credibility in my mind.
We are employing a widely-used, commercially available blog software called WordPress. It functions admirably, but does contain the flaw you mention which we also do not like. We will mention it to them again; perhaps they will eventually correct it.
NOTE: As everyone can see, this was corrected by WordPress. Thanks to Cindy for pointing this out and helping us to initiate this correction.
Cindy,
“…rule being broke…” downgrades your credibility.
I am designing a Store Hours sign for a business that is open 7 days a week
should I say
Sunday-Saturday
6:00am-9:30pm
or
Monday-Sunday
6:00am-9:30pm
Either option is accurate, but why not write the following:
Open every day
6:00am-9:30pm
Is this correct for a formal wedding invite?
The wording:
The honour of you presence is requested at the marriage of xxxxx.
Friday the twenty-eighth day of September, two thousand twelve. Three Thirty in the afternoon.
where xxxx
Six O’clock Cocktails, location xxxxx
Seven O’clock, dinner and dancing
Black Tie Optional
Wedding invitations are more of an art than an exercise in formal writing. If you will have the invitations professionally printed, they will have recommendations for you. If you are printing them yourself, you might want to search wedding websites. Decisions about whether you write numbers out or use numerals, whether you capitalize or use lowercase, etc. are mostly up to your own sense of esthetics.
is midnight 12:00 pm or 0:00 am
is noon 12:00 am or 0:00 pm
Thanks for your help.
Rule 4a of Writing Numbers says, “Use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 P.M. and 12:00 A.M.”
Rule 4a is understood, but if I have to define such a rule for a table with times, would I write 12:00 PM for noon and 12:00 AM for midnight? or would it be 0:00 PM for noon and O:00 AM for midnight. Thanks again for you answer.
Kind regards, HP
Digital clocks use 12:00 PM for noon and 12:00 AM for midnight. Since PM and AM stand for post meridiem and ante meridiem, Latin for after noon and before noon respectively, we advise writing noon and midnight or 12 noon and 12 midnight.
In spoken English, is it acceptable/correct to say “May 1” (as per rules in writing dates) or should I be saying “May 1st?”
It is correct to say “May first” even though it should be written “May 1.”
What is correct?
Between May 24th ,2011 till July 10th, 2011
or
Between May 24th ,2011 to July 10th, 2011
Following the examples given in the first rule shown in the article above, you could either write between May 24 and July 10, 2011 or between the 24th of May and the 10th of July, 2011.
How to write this wedding invitation (not in form of sentence)?
Holy matrimony:
Friday, October 12, 2012 at 02:00 pm
Bethel Church
Jl. Kemuning 42
Which is correct way to write pm:
PM
P.M.
pm
p.m.
And how about using the coma after year (before time)? Is it needed? Thanks for your help
As we mention in our NOTE in Writing Numbers, “AM and PM are also written A.M. and P.M., a.m. and p.m., and am and pm. Some put a space between the time and AM or PM.” In formal writing, a comma follows the year. However, wedding invitations sometimes have their own sets of rules and they are not always the same as formal writing.
In a short story, which would be correct?
“The phone rang at 2:00 in the morning.” or “The phone rang at 2 in the morning.”
Thanks for your help!
As shown in our NOTE and in Rule 4b of Writing Numbers, any of the following are fine:
The phone rang at 2:00 in the morning, two in the morning, or two o’clock in the morning.
Please settle an argument between co-workers in the Security field. Would the following sentence be grammtically correct:
“On Friday, June 15, 2012, I, Security Officer John Doe responded to the South parking garage for reports of a noise complaint.”
You are missing one comma in your sentence. The phrase Security Officer John Doe is considered an appositive. The definition of an appositive is “a word or word group that defines or further identifies the noun or noun phrase preceding it.” The rule in our Commas with Appositives blog says, “When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive.” Also, if South Parking Garage is the formal name of the parking garage, it should be capitalized. Otherwise, it should be lower cased.
On Friday, June 15, 2012, I, Security Officer John Doe, responded to the South Parking Garage (or south parking garage) for reports of a noise complaint.
On a poster for the promotion of a concert, how would one correctly list the dates of the event for two consecutive Wednesdays?
1. Wednesday, August 15 and 22
2. Wednesdays, August 15 and 22
There are no particular rules covering this particular situation that we’ve been able to find. If the option of “Wednesday, August 15 and Wednesday, August 22” take up too much space on the poster, we prefer “Wednesdays, August 15 and 22,” since more than one date is involved.
Is the word “at” required in the following example?;
“What time are you breaking for lunch at?”
It is frequently omitted during conversation but I’m unsure whether it is required in written form…
The preposition at in this sentence is unnecessary in conversation and in writing.
“What time are you breaking for lunch?” is correct.
Do we have a specific word or phrase in English to express a period that is more than 10 years and less than 20 years?
We are not aware of any such word.
When the time 5:07 PM is read, should we say five seven, five and seven, or five o seven?
Certainly, seven after five or seven minutes after five could be said, but is the “o” correct? It sounds so awkward to read numbers and introduce a letter or word in the middle, despite common use.
You could pronounce the time “five o seven.” It is common in spoken English to say “o” rather than “zero.”
How do you write two consecutive days with same year?
Example: When was John born? I think he was born on Jan. 1 or 2, 1984.
Your sentence is correct, although in formal writing we recommend writing out the word January rather than using an abbreviation.
I think he was born on January 1 or 2, 1984.
I was wondering how you phrase the sentence, when asking a question regarding working hours?
Is it: ‘How many days a week do you work?’
or ‘How many days do you work a week?’
Then there is also ‘How many days do you work in a week?’
Are they all correct?
Some might consider it better not to split the phrase days a week, but they are all grammatically correct.
Some people may not know but when saying your birthday would you say, ” I’m having my birthday on Auguest 12,2008 or, ” I’m having my birthday on Auguest 12th 2008.
As indicated in this Writing Dates and Times article, the following examples apply when using dates:
The meeting is scheduled for June 30.
The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June.
We have had tricks played on us on April 1.
The 1st of April puts some people on edge.
Therefore, “I am having my birthday on August 12, 2008” OR “I am having my birthday on the 12th of August, 2008” are correct. Note that there is no e in August.
Is this Correct?
Saturday, August 4th at 6 o’clock
Please advise… Thank you!
As indicated in this Writing Dates and Times article, the following examples apply when using dates:
The meeting is scheduled for June 30.
The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June.
We have had tricks played on us on April 1.
The 1st of April puts some people on edge.
The time is normally spelled out when used with o’clock, and the date is often spelled out, especially on invitations.
Saturday, the fourth of August at six o’clock OR
Saturday, August 4 at six o’clock
How about for 24/7? How do I write it for formal language?
You’re right, the phrase 24/7 is considered informal. There are probably numerous ways you could write it formally, e.g., “They are open all day every day,” or “They are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
How do you write the time. I have always wondered.
I’ve noticed that there are two ways; but what one is correct?
6.30 p.m. OR 6:30 p.m.
A colon is used to indicate the time of day in American English.
please let me know usage about “on time” & “in time”
The definition of on time is “according to schedule.” The phrase in time means “early enough; before a deadline.”
Examples:
His flight from Miami was on time.
She wants the meeting to start on time.
We got to the game in time to see the first pitch.
The paramedics arrived in time to save his life.
In time also refers to the proper tempo in music and can also mean “eventually.”
Examples:
The band marched in time to the music.
In time she grew to love her new home.
I have recently joined a group of people in my job and we write three daily reports that are read by federal officials at very high levels.
One person insists on writing the date and time like this: August 7th,at 7:08 AM.
He goes as far as to include the comma if any of us remove it and we all know it is not required in this dated format.
I want to use: August 7 at 7:08 AM. So far the Chicago Style of Manual and other resources do not insist on a preferred style, is there a resource I can use ti at least stop adding “th”?
The Chicago Manual of Style does have a preferred style. Their rule (9.32) says, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used, although these may be pronounced as ordinals.” The cardinal August 7 is preferred in written form rather than the ordinal August 7th.
In addition, the article above states:
The following examples apply when using dates:
The meeting is scheduled for June 30.
The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June.
We have had tricks played on us on April 1.
The 1st of April puts some people on edge.
Which is correct?
May 2012 or May, 2012
May 2012 is correct.
I am sending invitations and cannot remember how to write dates and time.
“The service starts at nine forty-five in the morning”
“Saturday, the twenty-fourth of November”
Are these correct?
Thank you for your assistance.
You have written the time and date correctly. As we’ve noted before, invitations sometimes have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing. You have some creative leeway as to whether you write numbers out or use numerals and how you use punctuation in a formal invitation.
If someone states:
Be back by 8 o’clock.
does this mean we can arrive anytime before 8:01, even if it’s 30 seconds past 8 o’clock? If you want someone to arrive promptly before or at 8:00, should it read 8 o’clock sharp. This is for game instructions and specific time does matter.
Thanks
As shown in Rule 4b of Writing Numbers, since exact time does matter, we recommend that it read “Be back no later than 8:00 sharp.”
In most European countries they have a very simple way to
write dates and numbers. For example “5” written like this
is the fifth number and is always pronounced five.
The number five followed by a dot “5.” means fifth and is always pronounced “fifth”. If you look up sports results on the web, say from Italy or a Scandinavian country you will see: 1. Lance Strongarm, pronounced “first”
2. Reece Bjarne “second”
3. Rasmus Chicken “Third”
The same goes for dates, always 1. of November. Pronounced
first of November. It sounded so stupid when the prime
minister of an English speaking country announced: “The
next election will be on one November”. I wonder how many
hundred years it will take before English speaking countries will adapt to this simple way of writing dates.
Thank you for this interesting piece of information. This is not common knowledge in the United States.
Do I write:
On the 24th June, the CMC press conference took place.
OR
On June 24, the CMC press conference took place.
OR
The CMC press conference took place on the 24th June/ June 24
This alwasy confuses me and I can never seem to get it right. Thank you for your help.
Either 24th of June or June 24 is correct.
Which of the following is correct or what is your suggestion:
1. Please meet Carlos, Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at 6:15p.m.
or
2. Please meet Carlos on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at 6:15p.m.
There has been an office debate that the word “on” should be eliminated when writing sentences such as this one.
The answer depends on where the sentence is going to be written. AP Stylebook, which is a guide for journalistic writing, says, “Do not use on before a date or day of the week when its absence would not lead to confusion, except at the beginning of a sentence: The meeting will be held Monday.” Newspapers tend to want to save space by omitting words whenever they can. For formal writing that is not in a newspaper, using on is acceptable.
Please meet Carlos on Wednesday, September 12, 2012, at 6:15 p.m.
The meeting starts at 12 noon
The meeting starts by 12 noon
Pls which of these is correct? Emphasis on ‘at’ and ‘by’. Thanks
The word at indicates that the meeting will start at a precise time. By could mean any time before noon, but no later than noon. For the purpose of a meeting, an exact start time is recommended. Also, our Rule 4a of Writing Numbers says, “Use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m.” Therefore, the number 12 in your sentence is unnecessary but could be considered optional.
The meeting starts at noon.
What would be the most correct way to write 1:00, one o’clock or One O’Clock?
Since the time is not a proper noun, do not capitalize. The correct way to write the time is one o’clock.
Today in Athens,on Thursday, the twelfth (12) of May,the year two thousand and eleven (2011), and further context …
is it correct or in my effort to sound formal i wrote it incorrectly?
The Chicago Manual of Style says, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used, although these may be pronounced as ordinals.” Therefore, write Today in Athens on Thursday, May 12, 2011. Spelled-out dates are more commonly used on formal invitations.
I’d like to ask if writing four (4) month training is correct?
Rule 1 in our Hyphens Between Words section says, “Generally, hyphenate two or more words when they come before a noun they modify and act as a single idea. This is called a compound adjective.”
Example: I took a four-month training class.
Should I change “two four-hour blocks” to “two 4-hour blocks” in the following?:
The time frame for this action is not critical and the expected duration will be two four-hour blocks of time.
Either two four-hour blocks of time or two 4-hour blocks of time are grammatically correct and, in the context of your sentence, neither should cause the reader any confusion. If you think there could be any misinterpretation, two 4-hour blocks of time may be clearer.
What is the correct way to type the following information ?
Fri. Oct. 4: Ladies Luncheon
There are several different ways one may write the information, including:
Friday, October 4 is the date for the Ladies Luncheon.
The Ladies Luncheon will take place on Friday, October 4.
Or, for a simple, brief calendar listing:
Fri., Oct. 4: Ladies Luncheon
What is the correct punctuation to be used to type the following in a calendar listing insert for a church bulletin?
Sat. Oct 13: Fall Chicken BBQ
Sat, Oct 13: Fall Chicken BBQ
Calendar listings usually have limited space so they do not always follow the same guidelines as formal written sentences. The Associated Press Stylebook does say, “There’s no ironclad rule to cover all situations. In a news story, time, date and place are fine in that order. In a calendar format, the date would likely be the first element.” They also go on to say, “The calendar date is usually sufficient. Including the day may be helpful in some instances.” The most important thing is to be consistent within your calendar. Abbreviations are acceptable, but we recommend using standard punctuation as follows:
Sat., Oct. 13: Fall Chicken BBQ OR
Oct. 13: Fall Chicken BBQ
I was wondering what would be the correct (formal) way you would write a date if you are going to translate it to numerical numbers?
Ex: February 7, 2008
Would it be
2-7-2008 or 7-2-2008
The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule 9.36 states, “For practical reasons, all-numeral styles of writing dates (5/10/99, etc.) should not be used in formal writing (except with certain dates that may be known that way: e.g., 9/11, for September 11, 2001). Whereas in American usage the first numeral refers to the month and the second to the day, in the usage of other English-speaking countries and of most European languages it is the other way around. When quoting letters or other material dated, say, 5/10/03, a writer must first ascertain and then make it clear to readers whether May 10 or October 5 is meant (not to mention 1903 or 2003). In text, therefore, the full date should always be spelled out. In documentation and in tables, if numerous dates occur, months may be abbreviated, and the day-month-year form, requiring no punctuation, may be neater (e.g., 5 Oct 2003).”
When writing two consecutive date ranges in a table, is the dash prior to “to date” in the example below redundant?
2007 – 2009, 2011 – to date
Stylistically I would prefer to use the dashes, as they fit in better with the style of other portions of the table.
Either an en dash or a hyphen may be used for periods of time when you might otherwise use to. Thus, following the hyphen or en dash with to date is redundant.
2007–2009, 2011–present, or 2011–present date
I’m confused and hope you can clarify something for me. Our office produces a newsletter twice a year. In some places time is expressed as 8:00 a.m., in some places as 8:00 am, and still in other places as 8:00am. I’ve tried to explain to the person who produces it that it could be am, a.m., AM, or A.M., but there should always be a space between the time and the a.m. Also, I’ve told him one format should be used consistently throughout a document. Is this correct? I notice in all of your responses above there is a space between the time and the a.m., except in your response to Carlos on September 8, 2012.
Your advice to the newsletter writer to be consistent throughout a document was right on. The missing space in our response of September 8, 2012, was a typographical error and has now been fixed, because we prefer a space after the number in formal writing, though no space may be used informally.
Please help me settle an argument with my friend. We’re both not native speakers and can’t find the answer anywhere in our textbooks.
She keeps saying x a.m. in the morning, and when I try to correct her (because shouldn’t it be either x in the morning or x a.m. ?), she tells me it’s correct. Is it?
You are correct. It is redundant to use both a.m. and in the morning .
Examples:
7:00 a.m. OR 7:00 in the morning
I have a question. Is this correct:
Since August 21, 1943, at 2 a.m.;
Yes.
What’s the best way to write the following example when you’re trying to communicate an outage that will span across multiple days at different times.
For example:
“As a result, access to email will be unavailable from 8:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, November 3 until 11:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 4, 2012”
Thanks!
Your communication is correct as written with the addition of a period at the end of the sentence. Also, the words “access to” are probably not necessary.
As a result, email will be unavailable from 8:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, November 3 until 11:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 4, 2012.
How do you properly write:
5 to 10 minutes later
I was taught that any number under 10, must be spelled out. It looks strange to write: five to 10 minutes later.
Thank you!
As mentioned in the introduction to our rules for Writing Numbers, there is disagreement between The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style, America’s two most influential style and usage guides, regarding whether to spell out the numbers zero to nine or zero to one hundred. We recommend being consistent within a category. For example, if you choose numerals because one of the numbers is greater than nine, use numerals for all numbers in that category. If you choose to spell out numbers because one of the numbers is a single digit, spell out all numbers in that category.” Therefore, you may either write five to ten minutes later or 5 to 10 minutes later.
Thank you for the answer above. I have another question. If you are writing an official letter, and you have a date format of February 12, 2013, what is the proper rule for not splitting the date onto two lines? For example, if your margin stops at “12,” should you continue the 2013 on the same line? Is it grammatically incorrect to split the date from the year? Should it be kept on the same line? I am unable to find anything in writing that says one way or another is correct.
There is nothing grammatically incorrect about splitting a date between two lines; it’s more of a visual concern. We recommend not splitting the date at the end of a line.
I’ve searched this page but no bones.
When listing out an agenda, should it be:
item one, 9:00am – 9:05am
or
item one, 9:00-9:05am
Either of your methods (including or omitting the first “am” as well as using either an en dash or a hyphen) is acceptable, although we recommend using no spaces before or after the en dash or hyphen. In formal writing, we recommend a space before am or pm, but in an agenda where you may be needing to conserve space, no space is acceptable.
If I write –
The wedding has been planned on ,the 7th December 2012.
Is it grammatically incorrect?
I recommend using the word for instead of on.
“The wedding has been planned for the 7th of December, 2012,” or, more directly, “The wedding is planned for December 7, 2012.”
I am stuck on a number expression for an address;
How should the following sentence be written:
“Jim lives at nine 21st Street and works on 6th Avenue”?
House numbers are usually expressed in numerals when writing an address.
Jim lives at 9 21st Street and works on 6th Avenue. OR Jim lives at number 9 21st Street and works on 6th Avenue.
Can you you please help me with the correct way of writing out time.
e.g. 5.41 p.m.
Should it be: five-forty one p.m. or five forty-one p.m.
Many thanks!
Our Rule 7 of Hyphens says, “Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.” Therefore, write five forty-one p.m.
I have a quick question. I was wondering how to best express the following in an official business correspondence:
Option 1: I met Chris on Tuesday afternoon, December 11,2012.
Option 2: I met Chris on Tuesday, December 11,2012, in the afternoon.
Option 3: Is there a more pithy and less clunky way of stating the above?
Thank you so much for your help.
Either of your two options are fine, but be sure to include a space between the comma following the day’s date and before the year. If you wish to be more specific about the time you could write:
I met Chris at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2012.
I met Chris on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at 1:00 p.m.
Two quick questions,
When you write a date in a sentence, do you place a comma after the year? (eg. Is it On January 13, 2012, I went to the store? or On January 13, 2012 I went to the store?)
also, if you are referencing several dates, do you write that as January 13, 15, and 19 or January 13, January 15, and January 19?
Many Thanks
Our Rule 9 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
On January 13, 2012, I went to the store.
When referencing several dates in the same month, it’s perfectly acceptable to write January 13, 15, and 19.
How to write sentences like below:
on the 3rd and 4th days of December, 2012 (same month)
on the 3rd day of November and 4th day of December, 2012 (same year)
on the 3rd day of November, 2011 and 4th day of December, 2012 (diffrent year)
Thank you
These are phrases, not sentences, of course. Otherwise, your phrases are fine except for a missing comma in the third one: on the 3rd day of November, 2011, and 4th day of December, 2012
Another option could be to write:
on December 3 and 4, 2012
on November 3 and December 4, 2012
on November 3, 2011, and December 4, 2012
Thanks for your reply. Further question:
On legal document, do I need to add “th” for the date? How to write those sentenses including the year?
Thanks.
Since we are not legal experts, we recommend that you follow the advice of the Chicago Manual of Style and consult one of their recommended legal stylebooks. Their rule 14.281 states, “Citations in predominantly legal works generally follow one of two guides: (1) The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, published by the Harvard Law Review Association and available online (with a subscription); or (2) the ALWD Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation, prepared and published by the Association of Legal Writing Directors and Darby Dickerson.”
If the day comes first followed by the month then the year, is there a comma after the month? 7 December 2012?
In the day-month-year system no commas are needed.
Do I spell out thirty when talking minutes? Or use the numerals? I only talked with him for thirty/30 minutes.
The Chicago Manual of Style says, “For units of time (or any other measure) in nontechnical text, we like to spell out numbers up to a hundred.”
I only talked with him for thirty minutes.
Question on the correct usage of the following within a sentence:
May of 2012,
OR
May, 2012,
OR
May 2012,
Our Rule 9 of Commas says, “No comma is necessary for just the month and year.” We recommend May 2012 in formal writing as some may consider that May of 2012 contains an unnecessary preposition.
‘August 2013’ or ‘August of 2013’
I prefer the first choice, but wanted to be able to defend that to the writer.
We agree with you. The word of is an unnecessary preposition.
What is the correct way of writing day and year. Like we should write “I am 27 years old” or “I am 27 year old”.
“It will take 4 days to complete this task” or “It will take 4 day to complete this task”. Somebody told me to use day instead of days, I just want to confirm.
We prefer the guidance contained in The Associated Press Stylebook to spell out single-digit whole numbers and to use numerals for numbers greater than nine. In the examples you gave, if the number is more than one, use the plural form years or days. If the number is one, use the singular form year or day. Note that if you are using the words year old as a compound adjective to describe a noun, use the singular form and hyphenate year-old.
Examples:
I am 27 years old.
Her son is one year old.
She is a 27-year-old.
We bought a 27-year-old house.
It will take four days to complete this task.
It will take one day to complete this task.
I’m confused as to the differences between the following two examples:
1–For units of time (or any other measure) in nontechnical text, we like to spell out numbers up to a hundred. Example: “I only talked with him for thirty minutes.”
2–Our Rule 1 of Numbers says, “Spell out single-digit whole numbers. Use numerals for numbers greater than nine.”
I am 27 years old.
Her son is one year old.
Why is it “27 years old” but “30 minutes”? What is the difference? Also, why does nontechnical not have a hyphen, i.e., non-technical?
Authorities disagree on when to spell out numbers and when to use numerals. While the Chicago Manual of Style differentiates how to write numbers that are units of time or other measurement, our website generally follows the simple rule shown as “2” in your question. The important thing is to be consistent.
Regarding the word nontechnical, we observe the current trend to do away with unnecessary hyphens. Therefore, attach most prefixes and suffixes onto root words without a hyphen as long as doing so would not create confusion.
How should this sentence be punctuated:
“For further information on application, call the Business Office at 555-541-3225 Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”?
We recommend rewording as follows:
For further information on [your application?] [the application process?], call the business office at 555-541-3225, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Which one is correct?
“Between 6:00 am and 10:00 am PT” or
“Between 6:00 and 10:00 am PT”.
Or are both correct?
Basically, do you have to repeat the “am” when both the beginning and ending of the time window end on the same day, with the same time period label?
Either of your methods is acceptable; however, we recommend including the first am for clarity.
Is it proper to add a comma after the date if written in the following way? Which way is correct?
March 4, at 4:30 p.m. (with comma)
or,
March 4 at 4:30 p.m. (no comma)
The comma is not necessary.
I have a problem with tenses. when asked about your favorite book or the last movie that you saw, what tense should I use. The interviewer said, that was my problem when I applied as a call center agent. thanks in advance.
If you are speaking about a movie that you saw or a book that you read in the past, you should use the past tense.
Examples:
I saw a great movie last weekend.
I read (pronounced red) a really interesting book last month.
If a dictator dictates 6/13 and really means June 13, how is this handled? I have always thought you type out June 13 but there are discrepancies in our office.
It depends on the purpose of the dictation. The Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 9.36 states, “For practical reasons, all-numeral styles of writing dates (5/10/99, etc.) should not be used in formal writing (except with certain dates that may be known that way: e.g., 9/11, for September 11, 2001).” Therefore, if the dictation is to result in an outgoing letter, it should be written June 13.
Would you write “24 hours per day, 7 days per week” or “24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” I prefer the former, but the latter is seen all the time.
Either method is acceptable.
It is my understanding that “the reason is because” is substandard.
We do cover this both in the Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (p. 109) and online in our Commonly Confused Words section under “Reason Is Because,” where we conclude: “Saying the reason is makes because unnecessary.” Thank you for pointing this out. We have revised our response.
1)If someone ask me “what time is it?” Can I say “it is 9 pm ”
2)If I want to write an assay, grammatically can I write ” it is 9 pm.”
3)We use pm/am just for representing opens/ closes hours on the door, meeting period, something like that?
Thanks.
When asked, you could say “It is 9 pm,” or you could simply say, “It is nine o’clock.” It would be unnecessary to specify a.m. or p.m., since it would be obvious. As shown in our Rules 4a and 4b of Writing Numbers, you may write 9 pm or 9:00 pm. You certainly should use am and pm when specifying exact times in schedules, meeting times, invitations, and store hours.
is it correct to write “on Tuesday at 5am” or” at 5am on Tuesday”
Either is acceptable.
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge about the english language with all of us on your website.
May I please ask for clarification about when it is okay to omit “a.m.” or “p.m.” when writing a time period?
e.g. “The conference will be held from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.” In this case, would “a.m.” be implied and omitted, or should it always be included when writing a time period that spans from morning to afternoon or evening?
e.g. “The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.” Similar to my first question, would the 1st “p.m.” be implied and therfore, can be omitted, or should time periods always include “a.m.” or “p.m.” for both start and end times, regardless of their implied time span?
If the organizers of the conferences or meetings wish to emphasize starting and stopping at exact times, then we recommend numerals representing the full hours and minutes along with a.m. and p.m., especially if the events include noon or midnight. Also, the Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 6.78 says, “The principal use of the en dash is to connect numbers and, less often, words. With continuing numbers—such as dates, times, and page numbers—it signifies up to and including (or through). For the sake of parallel construction, the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from precedes the first element in such a pair . . .”
The conference will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (If exact times are not emphasized, then from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is acceptable.)
The meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. OR The meeting will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
I was wondering how you would write a list of times. For example:
01 AM
02 AM
03 AM
04 AM
05 AM
06 AM
07 AM
08 AM
09 AM
10 AM
11 AM
Noon
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
5 PM
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM
11 PM
Midnight
We would not place zeros before the hours from 1-9 AM. Otherwise your list seems fine. We would recommend using 1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, etc. if exact times are being emphasized.
Is this statement correct? Should on be used?:On Sunday April 19,2013 I attended the meeting.
The word on is correct, however, our Rule 9 of Commas states, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.” In addition, there should be a comma following Sunday and a space before 2013. Therefore, write “On Sunday, April 19, 2013, I attended the meeting.” OR “I attended the meeting on Sunday, April 19, 2013.”
When writing a report – do I say “The 2012 year” or “They year 2012”
Thank you
Write “the year 2012.” You only need to capitalize the if it is the first word in the sentence or title.
I would like to write the date when something happened. Can I say : “On 12.12.2012…” or how it is right to do it ?
Thanks
In the United States, we would use slashes in informal writing: 12/12/2012. The Chicago Manual of Style’s Rule 9.36 says, “For practical reasons, all-numeral styles of writing dates (5/10/99, etc.) should not be used in formal writing (except with certain dates that may be known that way: e.g., 9/11, for September 11, 2001).” Therefore, an example in a formal writing context could be, “On December 12, 2012, I started working for a new company.”
Can any one tell me which one is right?
1. 7 day open
2. 7 days open
We recommend spelling out single-digit whole numbers. You need to use the plural noun days with the number seven. Also, the word open should appear first in your phrase.
Examples:
The store is open seven days per week. OR The store is open seven days a week.
I am writing a dissertation and find in many academic papers the day before the month, ie: On 24 November 1525 Charles V arrived… Is that correct or shoud I revert in my paper back to: On November 24, 1525 Charles… etc.
Thanks for your help and advice.
The answer depends on where you live. The American style of dates is month-day-year with commas used to set off the year: “On November 24, 1525, Charles V arrived…” The European style is day-month-year with no commas needed: “On 24 November 1525 Charles V arrived…”
Is this correct or do I need to put a comma after the first date?
Please see the attached summary as of March 30, 2012 and March 31, 2011.
or
Please see the attached summary as of March 30, 2012, and March 31, 2011.
Our Rule 9 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
Could you please let me know which of the following is correct or sounds better in british english (and why)?
I will be in London 15 and 16 August. OR
I will be in London on 15 and 16 August.
American English writing or speech may be: I will be in London on the 15th and 16th of August. OR I will be in London the 15th and 16th of August. We are not certain what would be correct in British English.
I need to write out a time between :01 and :09.
For example:
9:10 is nine ten
9:45 is nine forty-five
9:05 is ?
To express 9:05 in text write “five past nine” or “five minutes past nine.”
Working on a list of dates and, for clarity purposes, it’s important to include the year. So, would it be July 20, 2012, July 23, 2012, and July 29, 2012, OR July 20, 2012; July 23, 2012; and July 29, 2012.
Thanks!
Our Rule 3 of Semicolons says, “Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.” Therefore, write July 20, 2012; July 23, 2012; and July 29, 2012.
Is one of the following more acceptable/correct than the other:
From June of 2009 to April of 2013…
From June 2009 to April 2013…
The context is a formal letter.
Thank you for your time.
We recommend “from June 2009 to April 2013.”
What is the correct way of writing the following?
“We set sail at 0930 hours and headed East.” or “We set sail at 0930HRS and headed East.” or “We set sail at 0930hrs and headed East.” or “We set sail at 0930 hrs. and headed East.” or “We set sail at 0930 HRS and headed East.”
Thank you
We set sail at 0930 hours and headed east. OR We set sail at 0930 and headed east.
Could you please help me with formulating an Out-of-Office-Email-Reply in the context of British English. My mother tongue isn’t an article-language so I have got several problems according to the correct using of articles.
In (the) time from 22nd to 31st July I don’t have the possibility to check out the contents of my email box.
or
(During the period)Between (the) 22(nd) and (the) 31(st) July…
I will be out of the office from 22 July to 31 July and unable to respond to your e-mail.
What is the correct way of writing the following?:
Please note that any delay in receiving your approval may delay your order. If approval is not received by 00:00 p.m., 00-00-2013, your order will be delayed by one (1) working day, which could result in rush charges and/or late delivery. Thank You.
The Chicago Manual of Style (9.36) says, “For practical reasons, all-numeral styles of writing dates (5/10/99, etc.) should not be used in formal writing (except with certain dates that may be known that way: e.g., 9/11, for September 11, 2001).” Also, there is little risk that one is going to be misinterpreted, and the use of and/or is not a good idea in formal writing (nor are you likely to impose rush charges and then make a late delivery).
We recommend:
Please note that any delay in receiving your approval may delay your order. If approval is not received by 8:00 p.m., August 15, 2013, your order will be delayed by one working day, which could result in rush charges or late delivery.
Thank you so much for your time and help.
You are welcome.
In the interest of communication for international audiences, what do you think of using the ISO 8601 International Date Standard, extended format, for representing dates and time?
Today’s date is 2013-08-01. The time is 14:35 EST.
Although this format does have some advantages, we prefer spelling the date out in formal writing. Also, there are still many people who are unfamiliar with the 24-hour clock system.
Since you have been answering all the questions, here I need to ask something which confuses me a lot.
You said it is seven days a week, not seven day a week,
then is it correct to write 100 days of vacation, four glasses of water, 12 rows from the back? etc.
because in some cases it says it is incorrect to write ten millions, it should be ten million, so here am bit confuse about this singular n plural things
Seven days a week, 100 days of vacation, four glasses of water, and 12 rows from the back are all correct. Like seven, 100, four, and 12, ten million is simply a number. Whatever units this number is describing would be plural:
ten million dollars, people, acres, etc.
I have noticed more and more of the population typing the date as August 14th. Is this correct? I was taught in college that when the day precedes the month, it should be written as 14th of August.
You are correct. The date could be written either as August 14 or the 14th of August.
In my department we have a secretary who, in the writing of a meeting agenda, will put dates like this:
The boss will be on vacation 9/1-10/13.
She means to say that the boss will be on vacation from Sep. 1-10, 2013, but it looks like he’ll be gone from Sep. 1 until Oct. 13. I’ve tried to tell her that her style leads to confusion, but she insists that hers is the “correct style” for writing dates.
Since this is a small department, we are not bound by any particular style in the writing of agendas or minutes. I maintain that she ought to write it in a way that is not confusing, but she insists that she is doing it the proper way.
I’m the editor in the department, and I know that CMOS says to write out the dates, but she has an accounting background and is used to a different style. Since this isn’t a published piece, I don’t have authority over her to tell her to do it differently.
My question is, is she right? Is such a confusing style correct in some other style manual that I’m unfamiliar with?
You are correct that the Chicago Manual of Style recommends writing out dates in formal writing. Even if a date range is written with numerals and an en dash, the dates are confusing when written in the manner that you described. I am not aware of any style manual that recommends writing a date range in that format.
Whew! You must have some nerves answering so many Q’s!!!
I have a question too. Is it correct to write Thursday, 29th of August, 2013?
It is more standard in American English to write the date as Thursday, August 29, 2013. However, your method also is acceptable.
Can you help?
“…since we introduced the mid-90s reading teacher newsletter depicted elsewhere…”
I am thinking you will say it should be mid-’90s, but the further question is whether the term is being used as an adejctive or a possessive, and whether it needs an apostrophe after the s (mid-’90s’)
Thank you
The term mid-’90s is not used as a possessive, but rather an adjective that is part of the description of the newsletter, so there is no apostrophe needed before or after the s. For clarification, you may also want to reword to mid-1990s.
So, I’ve recently had a report returned for a grammatical error. I believe that I’m right but would love some advice. Would you write:
Mr. Stone stated that he was on the second floor NEAR 0145 hours.
-or-
Mr. Stone stated that he was on the second floor AROUND 0145 hours.
I know that the notation of time is a bit different but due to my line of work, they like it better in a 24 hour format. I’m only inquiring about the comparison of NEAR versus AROUND.
Thank you.
In American English, using regular time notation, we would write Mr. Stone stated that he was on the second floor around 1:45 a.m. or Mr. Stone stated that he was on the second floor close to 1:45 a.m. We assume the same would be true using a 24-hour format.
Can I say “october the ninth”, “nomvember the fifth”?
The following examples are correct when using dates:
the 9th of October
the 5th of November
October 9
November 5
Note: Oct. 9 and Nov. 5 are recommended by the Associated Press.
Suppose in a week tuesday is holiday. I’m writing this like “Wed. to Sun.- Open” and “Tuesday – Holiday”.
Is this form of writing is correct?
Writing in a shortened form such as this might be acceptable for a sign on a door, however, the wording is informal and may confuse your customers. You could write the following:
We are closed Tuesday for the holiday, but we are open Wednesday through Sunday.
However, this still leaves a question as to whether you are open on Monday.
We’re having a debate in our office about how to write year date order.
Is it: #1 Sales Associate of the year 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2008.
Or: #1 Sales Associate of the year 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Thanks so much for your help!
It seems to make more sense to list the dates in chronological order. Since it is not used as part of a name, the term “sales associate” should not be capitalized unless “Number One Sales Associate of the Year” is the formal title of an award given by your company. Writing “#1” is considered informal.
number one sales associate of the year 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012 OR
Number One Sales Associate of the Year 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012
I was going through the answers you gave to the thousands of questions posted above and to tell the truth I’ve learned a lot.
Could you please guide me if these sentences are right or not…
The meeting was held on 19th of August 2013 from 13:00 to 14:19.
The meeting was held on 19th August 2013 from 13:00 to 14:19.
Thanks beforehand!
The twenty-four-hour system of expressing time does not usually use any punctuation.
The meeting was held on August 19, 2013, from 1300 to 1419. OR The meeting was held on the 19th of August 2013, from 1300 to 1419. (American English)
The meeting was held on 19 August 2013 from 1300 to 1419. (British English)
Can I just say thank you for this. It’s driving me crazy to see dates like October 1st and October 1st, 2013 everywhere (especially the latter). I see it on billboards, professional documents, public signage, etc. You would think these “writers” know better, but obviously not. What aren’t they teaching in college?
We’re glad you appreciate our website. Proper grammar appears to not always be a priority in today’s world.
I am having a bit of a trouble with writing the date on an invitation. Is it okay to write on Saturday, the 10th December,2013? Or should it be on Saturday, the 10th of December,2013?
Thanks a ton for helping!
In your example, you would write “the 10th of December.” Also, there should be a space before the year. As we have written before, invitations have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing. Whether to use punctuation or not is up to you.
We recommend:
on Saturday, the 10th of December, 2013
how would you write:
April 13-Sept 28 Saturdays 8am-12pm
Oct 5–Nov 23 Saturdays 9am-1pm
thanks in advance
You don’t indicate the purpose of the dates, but your shortened version might be used for a sign or poster.
We see that you’ve used a mixture of hyphens and an en dash, which is a little longer than a hyphen. It is used for periods of time when you might otherwise use to. To be consistent, use one or the other throughout.
There should be periods after the abbreviations of the months, and we recommend a space before am and pm, but it’s not required.
For clarity, we advise using noon rather than 12 pm.
Also, we recommend commas after the date and day.
April 13–Sept. 28, Saturdays, 8 am–noon OR Saturdays, April 13-Sept. 28, 8 am-noon
Oct. 5–Nov. 23, Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm OR Saturdays, Oct. 5-Nov. 23, 9 am-1 pm
In formal prose you could write the following:
The class will take place April 13 through September 28 on Saturdays from 8:00 am to noon.
The store is open October 5 through November 23 on Saturdays from 8:00 am to noon.
Are the following correct:
1) I am arriving home towards the early part of the week of the 18th of July.
2) I am arriving home towards the week of the 18th of July.
How would you say it?
Thank You
We would say, “I am arriving home early in the week of July 18.”
If I have-
Goal: 100 feet front crawl
And then later in the same area have “six pours” but then use 3 minutes, this doesn’t seem consistent.
Should all these number be written out?
With certain exceptions, deciding whether to write the numbers zero through one hundred as numerals or spelled out is a matter of writers’ preference. We recommend using a consistent style throughout your writing.
I have a question to ask. Is there a rule anywhere that shows a.m. or p.m. typed like below:
10am or 9pm
Typed without spaces between the figure and the abbreviation?
I have never seen it. Someone told me you could type it that way. I said: show me.
The practice of writing the time of day without a space between the hour and am or pm is somewhat unusual, but some writers do use it. We prefer a space and periods (10 a.m., 9 p.m.).
Is it correct to write “8th to 10th November 2013” for an event date?
In American English, you could write something like “The fair will take place from the 8th to the 10th of November, 2013” OR “The fair will take place November 8-10, 2013.”
Can I say “8:30 o’clock pm”, or does “o’clock” just apply to times on the hour (8 o’clock, 9 o’clock etc)?
O’clock only applies to times on the hour, and many prefer the number spelled out in written form when using o’clock:
He left the restaurant at nine o’clock.
What is the correct format for:
November 8th – 11th, 2013. Should the ordinal be left out? Also, what if the year isn’t there? Is November 8th – 11th correct?
We do not recommend adding ordinals when the day follows the month, whether the date includes the year or not. You may use an en dash or a hyphen, but whichever you choose, do not put spaces on either side.
Examples:
November 8-11, 2013
November 8–11
When spanning dates do you use a comma after the year of the first date? In example, would it be:
“…job search for the period October 25, 2013 through November 2, 2013,”
or
“…job search for the period October 25, 2013, through November 2, 2013.”
It feels like the putting the comma after the year of the first date breaks of the time period instead of spanning the time.
Please help! This is driving me nuts.
Always put a comma after the year.
“… job search for the period October 25, 2013, through November 2, 2013.”
Is writing this date correct?
“The competition will be held on the 21st of April 2013.”
There should be a comma after the word April.
“The competition will be held on the 21st of April, 2013.”
The fair will take place from 8:30 a.m. on Friday, November 8 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9.
Does this sound right?
Thanks
Unless the fair is open all night, it might be better to give the exact hours. If the hours are the same both days, you could write “The fair will take place on Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.”
I’ve got a question. Which of the following is correct?
1. “The document is correct as of 3pm”
2. “The document is correct as at 3pm”
I’ve noticed most of my colleagues actually using sentence 2 but I would normally use sentence 1. Had been wondering if I’ve got it wrong all these while?
Thanks for your help!
The grammatically correct term in English is as of. The practice of writing the time of day without a space between the hour and am or pm is less formal, but some writers do use it. We recommend a space and periods as follows: The document is correct as of 3 p.m.
I’m trying to type an invitation for a baby shower.
Is way I have the date and time typed out below correct?
Sunday, January 5th.,2014 at 2:30 PM
OR
Sunday, January 5th. 2014 at 2:30 PM
Thank you,
Invitations have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing. In formal prose we recommend writing “Sunday, January 5, 2014, at 2:30 P.M.” OR “Sunday, the 5th of January, 2014, at 2:30 P.M.”
How do you write date with the actual number:
eg, …will graduate June 2014….
or …will graduate June, 2014….
Which is correct?
When only the month and year are given, a comma need not be used: … will graduate in June 2014.
Which one is correct:
a. My birthday is on August 9, or
b. My birthday is on August 9, 1963?
Thanks.
Your birthday is on August 9. Your birth date is August 9, 1963.
Firstly to say thanks for this great page and replies.
Secondly, excuse my grammar, it’s terrible! — I’m from Spain.
Last, what does it means the date on the top image […]—February 25, 2011? Are you OK?
If any mistake, please correct me. Saludos.
As the Remembering Jane page linked at the top of our home page explains, Jane passed away in 2011. Jane’s husband, Lester Kaufman, and his staff continue to answer the questions submitted by readers from around the world.
Your grammar is not terrible at all. English is not easy to learn. To be grammatically correct, your first sentence could be written “First, I would like to thank you for this great page and replies.” Also, the usual phrase is “what does it mean” without an s. That sentence could be written “Finally, what does the February 25, 2011, date mean in the top image? In addition, your last sentence could be written “If there are any mistakes, please correct me.”
Is this grammatically correct?
Issued this 4th day of December, 2013.
Your phrase is correct; simply be aware that it is not a complete sentence.
Back when I started learning English (as a foreign language in German high school in the 1980s), we were taught to use the following date format at the top of test, homework etc.:
Jan. 23rd, 1985
May 14th, 1986
Nov. 15th, 2013
Now my daughter has been learning English (also as a foreign language in German high school) and her teacher insists that it’s incorrect to abbreviate the names of the “long” months.
Could you please tell me it the above date formats are correct.
Thank you so much.
We do not recommend using ordinal endings (st, nd, rd, or th) for dates expressed in the standard month-day-year format. Also, abbreviations should be avoided in formal writing.
January 23, 1985
May 14, 1986
November 15, 2013
At 9 minutes and 10 seconds past 8 am on the 11th of December 2013, possibly be written as 08;09;10;11;12;13 in USA this would have to be 9 minutes and 10 seconds past 8 am on the 12th of November 2013 to be the same
We think you are referring to what is known as a sequential day. The last sequential day with the numbers one through ten fell on August 9, 2010, at 12:34:56.7 pm (or on September 8, 2010, if the date format is read DD/MM/YY).
I’m confused, which is more appropriate, between 8 and 5, or between 8 to 5? Can you please explain?
It would be more appropriate to use the phrase “between 8 and 5” as a shortened form for “between the hours of 8 and 5.”
I am wondering if you are writing a letter to someone in a book, how do you punctuate it?
The same punctuation rules would apply to a letter in a book just as they would to a standard written letter.
Too much time spent teaching a ‘correct’ way of writing dates and times when in actual fact ANY WAY YOU CHOOSE is (almost) always universally understood. There are times when knowing the correct grammar and usage of English is correct, useful and appropriate. This isn’t one of them. I have more problems with the sell by dates on food products when I don’t know if they have put the month or the date first.
The Writing Dates and Times blog currently has 420 comments—more comments than any of our other blogs. It seems to us that there are a lot of readers (including you, with your sell-by-date perplexity) who recognize the practicality of a “universally understood” way of writing dates and times.
For an itinerary what would be the correct way to write the dates. Would it be: January 8 to 15, 2014. or Janyary 8 – 15, 2014. Thanks
You can write January 8 to 15, 2014, or January 8-15, 2014. There should be no spaces around the hyphen.
Should you use a hypen, endash or emdash between the dates?
A hyphen is used between the dates.
Chicago Manual of Styles says that an en dash is used to indicate a range of numbers or dates, not a hyphen. Please clarify.
Policies and philosophies vary from medium to medium. America’s two most influential style and usage guides have different approaches: The Associated Press Stylebook recommends using a hyphen, and the Chicago Manual of Style recommends using an en dash. We favor the hyphen.
I create certificates for courses and was wondering the correct way to write a date, such as “April 26 and May 3, 2017.” My supervisor says it should read, April 26, and May 3, 2017. Could someone advise me on the correct way to write out date ranges?
There should not be a comma after April 26 in your example. However, commas should be used when including the full date: April 26, 2017, and May 3, 2017.
Is this correct? The fair will be held August 10th through the 20th.
As shown in the second and fourth examples of this post, ordinals (such as th, st) are generally used only when the day precedes the month. You may write August 10-20, but we recommend writing August 10 through 20 to remove any doubt that August 20 is included.
How should the date Oma wedding program be written? The Program and wedding are formal. We can’t seem to agree on what is correct the date will be listed on the cover of the program .
The Wedding is Saturday, February 8,2014 please help this is holding us up from going to print !!
As we responded to Lori on May 26, 2012: “Wedding invitations are more of an art than an exercise in formal writing. If you will have the invitations professionally printed, they will have recommendations for you. If you are printing them yourself, you might want to search wedding websites. Decisions about whether you write numbers out or use numerals, whether you capitalize or use lowercase, etc., are mostly up to your own sense of esthetics.”
Thanks , I was asking about the wedding program not the invitation . I will follow same format I used on the professionally printed invitation.
Being consistent with your invitation sounds like a good way to go.
Can you please clear one thing for me? Is the name of the month alone (March, for a example) considered to be a date?
I’m confused by my son’s homework. He was asked to circle each date that is written correctly and he circled only ‘complete’ dates like July 4,2011. There were couple ‘just month’ dates like Saturday and March which we assumed could not be dates since it’s only names of the months. But our teacher thinks otherwise..
Sorry, I messed up a little..Can be a name of the month (like March) OR a name of the week (like Saturday) alone considered to be dates?
We agree with you that typically a month or day of the week is not specific enough to be considered a date. A date is usually written as a particular month and day or month, day, and year at which some event happened or will happen.
Hi,
We are using English for communication in our company.
In our country we have 24H time.
What is grammatically right when using 24H time?
Is it right to write –
..at 15.00
..at 15.00 o’clock
..scheduled at 15.00 (o’clock)
..scheduled for June 30, at 15.00 (o’clock)
Either “at 1500” or “at 1500 hours” is considered correct. We recommend that no decimal point be used, and there should be no comma after “June 30.”
What is the proper spacing and format when listing the duration, in hours for classes within a table? For example,
Course Hours Price
HTML 42 h $85
Thank you.
The Chicago Manual of Style says, “It is wise to consult the publisher on the appropriate number, size, and physical form of any tables to be included in a work. A table should be as simple as the material allows and understandable on its own; even a reader unfamiliar with the material presented should be able to make general sense of a table.” There does not seem to be a rule specific to spacing for tables, but of course the columns should line up under the headings, and you should allow enough space to display the information in the columns.
Thus, regarding the class duration itself, the format is up to your organization: 42 h, 42h, 42 hours, etc.
how do we wright date in British style? and whether suffix are written in superscript of in regular? which is accepted style and linguistically correct?
Thanks in advance…
There are several different ways to write the date in British English. They vary from formal to informal. Which format to use is a question of formality, politeness, and personal choice. For more information we recommend that you consult a style manual that specializes in British English.
Examples:
the fifteenth of February 2014
15 February 2014
15/02/2014
ISO 8601 prescribes: YYYY-MM-DD.
End of discussion.
ISO standards are voluntary. It is a non-governmental organization and it has no power to enforce the implementation of the standards it develops. Although this format does have some advantages, we prefer spelling the date out in formal writing.
Would it be correct to say: “You will receive the package on February the 21st?” Thank you!
We recommend writing either “You will receive the package on February 21,” or “You will receive the package on the 21st of February.”
Is it true that you shouldn’t write February 19th but only
February 19? The British can use both “19 February” and “19th February”.
The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule 9.32 states, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used, although these may be pronounced as ordinals.
May 26, 2008, was a sad day for film buffs.
When a day is mentioned without the month or year, the number is usually spelled out in ordinal form.
On November 5, McManus declared victory. By the twenty-fifth, most of his supporters had deserted him.”
Other style guides say that it is also acceptable to write “the 19th of February” or “the 19th of February, 2014.” Writing “February 19th” or “February 19th, 2014,” is not recommended in American English.
I talked with some colleagues that are from the UK. And I know their writing style generally is very good. One of these colleagues’ spouse is even an English teacher. All of them claim they have never heard about such a rule.
As a native German speaker I can only tell what others say or write.
So I guess this your style recommendation is for American English only, not valid for British English.
Anyway, many thanks.
Yes, that’s right. Our website and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation represent American English rules.
Would you please clarify the following.
A coworker of my completed a proofreading and editing class and was instructed the use of the entire date should be used. For example, used in the current year, I drafted a sentence stating, “We recently launched the website on February 1st.” Or, could it be “February 1?” She insists it must be February 1, 2014.
In formal writing it is usually a good idea to include the year. It often depends on the kind of document you are writing. If you are writing a letter or an e-mail, you could omit the year, especially since you used the word “recently.” For any kind of publication or website, the year should be included. We recommend writing “We recently launched the website on February 1, 2014.” It is also acceptable to write “We recently launched the website on the 1st of February, 2014.” Writing the ordinal “February 1st, 2014,” is not recommended.
Regarding range: I know about from…to and between…and. But what about during? Is it correct to write “during March-April” or should it be “during March through April”? Thanks a lot!
The word during means “throughout.” We recommend writing “during March and April.”
Regarding the use of “during” in a date range, when the range is larger than 2 consecutive months or years, is “during” a good choice? I work with scientists who write reports saying, “during 2010-2015,” for example. It doesn’t sound right to me, but I don’t know if I should change the structure to use between…and or from…to, or if there’s a better way to write/use “during,” or if “during 2010-2015” is correct. Any advice?
We would need to see the entire sentence in order to give a recommendation.
I had exactly the same question. How about “The war took place during 2001-2003.” Or, the data was gathered during 2001-2003.”
We prefer the Chicago Manual of Style’s recommendation to use the hyphen or en dash to signify up to and including (or through). By that method, you might write “The data was gathered during the time period 2001-2003.” For even more clarity, use from before the first of a pair of numbers followed by to or through, or use between followed by and:
The data was gathered from 2001 to 2003 (or from 2001 through 2003).
The data was gathered between 2001 and 2003.
Is this “On Monday, March 3, we will ……”? Thank you.
Your phrase is written correctly. However, in formal writing an ellipsis consists of three dots: “On Monday, March 3, we will … “
I am a bit confused. You wrote in your previous responses that :The conference will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 1:00 P.M. is correct but what about: The conference will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, February 4, 2012.
Thank you in advance Jane
Both of those options are grammatically correct.
In England it’s normal to write the ‘th’ after the date, so 24th is correct!
In British English it would be normal to write “24th August” rather than “August 24th.” In regard to our answer to Peggy of January 22, 2009, our website and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation represent American English rules.
English is my second language. So, I wanted to ask you why it is incorrect to write the ‘th’ after the date?
Our website and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation represent American English rules.The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule 9.32 states, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used, although these may be pronounced as ordinals.
May 26, 2008, was a sad day for film buffs.
When a day is mentioned without the month or year, the number is usually spelled out in ordinal form.
On November 5, McManus declared victory. By the twenty-fifth, most of his supporters had deserted him.”
Other style guides say that it is also acceptable to write “the 19th of February” or “the 19th of February, 2014.” Writing “February 19th” or “February 19th, 2014,” is not recommended in American style guides. British English rules are different.
There is no such thing as “American English”.
We use the terms “American English” and “British English” because some of the rules for each are different. For instance, we would write your sentence as There is no such thing as “American English.” (with the period inside the quotation mark). Neither is right nor wrong, just different, like American accents and British accents.
I have a question on how to write a time when writing fiction.
Is the sentence below correct?
Our meeting is scheduled for seven A.M.
Thank you.
The term A.M. is usually used with a numeral.
Our meeting is scheduled for 7:00 A.M. (OR 7 A.M.)
You could also write “Our meeting is scheduled for seven in the morning.”
When printing the date of an upcoming event, is it correct to write (ie) April 12th. I have been told not to add the th or rd for say 3rd.
Also, when printing A.M. or P.M. should they always be uppercase, lower case, or separated by a period.
Thank you for your reply.
Regarding dates, please see our recent reply to Eberhard in this blog of February 20, 2014. As the blog above states, “You may use AM and PM, A.M. and P.M., am and pm, or a.m. and p.m.“
is it correct?
The meeting is next Monday of this month.
is it correct to say “of this month?”
Thanks for help.
Although it is grammatically correct, the sentence is awkward. The words “next” and “of this month” could be omitted if you clearly state the date of the meeting.
Example: The meeting is Monday, April 7.
Good morning.
Is it correct to write like this if asking for vacation?
“Please be informed that I will be on vacation from May 5 to May 8 and on May 12, 2014.
Please let me know if you have concerns.”
Your sentence is grammatically correct, however it does not seem to be asking for vacation. It is stating the fact that you will be on vacation.
Please advise what is the correct preposition here?
– This happaned at (or on?) 15/03/2014 15:00:00.
The date + time format must be kept and cannot be reverted.
Thanks in advance!
Usually the preposition on is used with the date and at is used with the time.
This happened on 15/03/2014 at 15:00:00.
How do you combine time, days of the week, and date together in a sentence? Why do we write a location after time not before? Example: We meet on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at 9 am at Chaparrel Park. (one specific time)
We meet every Friday at 12 pm on campus at room 310. (a regular activity)
We leave Josephine’s home on Wednesdays at 3pm to pick up our son from school.
or
We leave Josephine’s home at 3pm on Wednesdays to pick up our son from school.
There is no rule stating that you must write the location after the time. Use a comma after the year. If your first example is meant to indicate a future meeting, we recommend “will meet.” In your second example, we advise using “noon” rather than “12 pm.” Also, we prefer using the preposition in. There are different ways to write your sentences. Your final pair of sentences are fine.
We will meet on Saturday, April 5, 2014, at 9 am at Chaparrel Park. OR
We will meet at Chaparrel Park on Saturday, April 5, 2014, at 9 am.
We meet every Friday at noon on campus in room 310. OR
We meet on campus in room 310, every Friday at noon.
I need to know how to write time periods. For example, period 1/2/14-1/10/14 I can write 1/2-10/14. How to write periods 2/2/13-3/2/13 (different months and 12/20/13-1/10/14 (different years? Thank you very much.
There are no further shortcuts for your examples since the dates are so specific. You have written them correctly in all-numeral style. However, this method looks needlessly confusing and awkward, and writing out the dates would be a courtesy to the reader.
I have a question on how to write a request for appointment which include 3 alternative date and time in a formal letter.
Is it correct to write ” .. on 21th April, 2014 at 10:00 A.M. ; 22th April, 2014 at 11:00 A.M. ; 23th April, 2014 at 1:00 P.M.”
Thank in advance.
In American English, writing ordinal endings such as th, st, nd, and rd in this context is unnecessary. The periods with AM and PM are optional. Also, use a comma after the year. We recommend writing “…on April 21, 2014, at 10:00 AM; April 22, 2014, at 11:00 AM; April 23, 2014, at 1:00 PM.”
Please tell me if this is correct punctuation for a sentence in my novel.
” … the details of January 19th will never leave my mind.”
Also:
“To understand what happened on January 19th, you’d … “
In American English, writing ordinal endings such as th is considered by some to be unnecessary. Some style guides say that writing “the 19th of January” is acceptable. Therefore, we recommend:
“… the details of January 19 will never leave my mind.”
“To understand what happened on January 19, you’d …” OR
“… the details of the 19th of January will never leave my mind.”
“To understand what happened on the 19th of January, you’d …”
Thank you for all your help. Your blog is my first resource for questions of this nature.
What would be the proper structure of this item? There is debate that the period should stay and some say it should go.
Sat., May 3
Sat, May 3
Thanks!
Adam
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that the periods stay in formal prose. However, the AP Stylebook says, “Do not abbreviate, except when needed in a tabular format: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat (three letters, without periods, to facilitate tabular composition).” Take your pick.
Is it correct if I write a date in this way:
5 January 2014
Thanks a lot.
It is correct for British English. In American English, writing January 5, 2014, is preferred.
Is a comma required between the date and time of an event that does not include the year? Example: Friday, May 23rd at 8 p.m. OR Friday, May 23rd, at 8 p.m. (personally, I dislike the addition of the ‘rd,’ ‘th,’ and ‘st’ in dates, but my company insists on doing it this way.) Thanks!
We recommend adding the comma to separate the date from the time. We agree that including the ordinal “rd” is unnecessary.
Is it correct to say “The meeting was held ‘on’ August 1-12”? Or “The meeting was held “from August 1 to August 12”?
It is difficult for us to imagine a single meeting that lasted for twelve days. We prefer to write “meetings” or “the conference.”
You could write the following:
Meetings were held from August 1 to August 12.
Meetings were held August 1-12.
The conference was held from August 1 to August 12.
The conference was held August 1-12.
I wanted to know if this phrasing works:
Breaking her from encapsulated mind, ticked a town clock marking twenty-five in four (pm).
and wanted to ask if PM/AM are solely for number only and if so, should I just use in the evening and noon?
The terms AM and PM are usually used with numerals. Also, the phrase “twenty-five in four” is uncommon in English. Perhaps you mean “twenty-five to four.” If that is the case, we recommend using “in the evening” or “in the morning.” You may also wish to use an article or adjective before the phrase “encapsulated mind.”
For our wedding invitations we are wanting to write; the 2 of August, 2014. Do we need the comma before the year? Thank you.
In formal prose we prefer writing either “the second of August, two thousand fourteen,” “August 2, 2014,” or “the 2nd of August, 2014.” However, invitations have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing. Whether to use punctuation or follow grammar rules is up to you.
I’m working on my (hopefully) first novel. I have lots of times in the book (many are precise, such as leaving flights, when to meet at the bus, what time to be there, when the alarm went off, etc). From different sites that I have looked at, say that it doesn’t really matter if I say it’s 4:30 in the morning, or four thirty in the morning, or 4:30 a.m. (A.M.). However, one I ran across stated that if different characters are saying time, I should vary the method to fit the particular character. Such as one could say 4:30 in the morning, another four-thirty in the morning, and yet another at 4 o’clock in the morning. Should I vary this or should I stick with one method?
I apologize, I’m a perfectionist when it comes to this kind of thing and it is something that is really bugging me.
Using numerals for the time of day has become widely accepted, however, some writers prefer to spell out the time, particularly when using o’clock. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends using numerals when exact times are emphasized, such as 4:30 p.m. We advise that you pick a method and be consistent.
What is the proper way of writing this: On May 1951 or In May 1951. Thanks.
Since there is not a specific date, write “in May 1951.”
Is it ok to write “in the year ´96” or “in ´96” meaning 1996 in English?
Thanks!
It depends on the circumstances of your writing. “In the year ’96” and “in ’96” are both grammatically correct. In formal writing, however, such as an essay for school or a report for work, we recommend “in the year 1996” or “in 1996.”
When writing 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., do I have to use the first am or can I leave it out?
Both options are acceptable.
Do you need a comma after the time of an event, as in the following:
On Saturday, March 21, 2015, at 6 p.m. the annual budget meeting will begin at our corporate offices.
Or should it have a comma after the time:
On Saturday, March 21, 2015, at 6 p.m., the annual budget meeting will begin at our corporate offices.
Thanks a bunch!!!
Your sentence should have a comma after the time.
I was taught that when writing a span of dates such as 7/1 – 9/30/2014. It is correct not to put the year after the first date. I am being challenged that it is only appropriate to put 7/1/2014 – 9/30/2014? Can you tell me if the school of thought on this has changed over the years?
There is no single right answer to this question. The Associated Press Stylebook says that, in general, the year isn’t needed in a date range within the current year. The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that “all-numeral styles of writing dates should not be used in formal writing.” In our Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, and on GrammarBook.com, we note that “there should never be spaces around hyphens.”
Therefore, we recommend July 1-September 30, 2014; July 1 to September 30, 2014; or July 1 through September 30, 2014.
Which is correct for the sentence below:
Deadline to apply is Sunday, August 31, at 11:59pm.
Deadline to apply is Sunday, August 31 at 11:59pm.
I don’t know if the comma after 31 is required, wrong or optional.
Thanks!
We recommend adding the comma to separate the date from the time.
Also is it 9-month with a hyphen or en dash
The compound adjective is written with a hyphen. We generally recommend spelling out single-digit numbers: nine-month.
When advertising an event that lasts during two months would it be correct to say:
October 3rd – November 1, 2014?
Including the ordinal “rd” and the spaces before and after the hyphen are unnecessary.
October 3–November 1, 2014
When describing logical statements, such as an if-then statement, it may become necessary to describe dates as variable. When doing this, it becomes difficult to distinguish the writer’s meaning without following-up directly. Consider this example, provided below.
“If an update request is submitted to update the system with a newer effective date than the date of the current version, then over-write the current version with the update request submitted. The current version will be saved in version history. Otherwise, if an update request is submitted to update the system with an older effective date than the date of the current version, then make no change to the current version save the update request submitted in version history.”
When describing dates later or earlier, older or younger, etc we build confusion. What are the best descriptive words to use in these instances?
In your final sentence we recommend using the words earlier and later instead of newer and older when describing dates.
Which of the following is correct?
The evidence established that on May 1, 2014, the defendant killed the victim.
The evidence established that, on May 1, 2014, the defendant killed the victim.
The evidence established that on May 1, 2014 the defendant killed the victim.
Thanks!
The evidence established that on May 1, 2014, the defendant killed the victim.
Is this sentence correct:
The company was missing the required signs between July 2, 2014 and August 2, 2014, and between September 2, 2014 and October 1, 2014.
Thanks.
There should be commas after the year 2014.
The company was missing the required signs between July 2, 2014, and August 2, 2014, and between September 2, 2014, and October 1, 2014.
You could also write the following:
The company was missing the required signs July 2-August 2, 2014, and September 2-October 1, 2014.
The company was missing the required signs from July 2, 2014, to August 2, 2014, and from September 2, 2014, to October 1, 2014.
When referring to a specific century (21st Century), what would be the appropriate use of superscript? Thanks!
Neither the Associated Press Stylebook nor the Chicago Manual of Style uses superscript with centuries. AP says, “Lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10: the first century, the 21st century.” Chicago recommends centuries be spelled out and lowercased: the twenty-first century.
The apostrophe either indicates ownership such as “John’s dog” or indicates a missing letter such as “doesn’t (does not)”
Quote from above:
Correct:
During the ’80s, the world’s economy grew.
During the 1980s, the world’s economy grew.
During the 1980′s, the world’s economy grew.
This is NOT correct as your 3rd line, “During the 1980′s, the world’s economy grew.” is in error: there is no missing letter or number and no ownership in this sentence
It is not true that apostrophes are used only to show possession or to indicate a contraction. Apostrophes can also be used for clarity. Examples:
Here are some do’s and don’ts.
I made straight A’s.
And, in the example you cited, the New York Times (up until 2007) would write 1980′s.
1)
From 07:30 to 08:30 on August 4, 2014 filesystem had been partially unavailable due to disks failure.
2)
From 14:30 on Augst 10 to 11:40 on Augst 11, 2014 filesystem had been partially unavailable due to disks failure.
please, check the date of grammar.
Thank you.
Since we do not know the details of what occurred, we assume the following will suffice:
1.) From 07:30 to 08:30 on August 4, 2014, the filesystem was partially unavailable due to disk failure.
2.) From 14:30 on August 10 to 11:40 on August 11, 2014, the filesystem was partially unavailable due to disk failure.
may write Mr. Ayllon (CONS)’s wife?
the apostrofe is the quiestion.
“Mr. Ayllon’s (CONS) wife” is the correct possessive form.
1). Does the month have to come before the day when writing dates: “August 26, 2014” instead of “26 August 2014” or “26th August 2014”?
2). Should a colon be used instead of a full stop when writing time: “5:15pm” instead of “5.15pm”?
3). What is the difference between single and double quotation marks, and does a full stop or comma come before or after the end-quotation mark?
In American English, the month comes before the day. Standard British English uses the day-month-year format without commas.
A colon is used when writing time.
Our punctuation rule page Quotation Marks explains the difference between double and single quotation marks and gives the American English rules for using them.
The Chicago Manual of Style is standard reference now for businesses (I think we even use it at our University) as well as published authors (or so I learned when I first began publishing back in 2002), and they disagree with your assertion that the apostrophe used in dates (years) and abbreviated nouns (DVD; TV) is correct American English usage.
The proper way to write something like “It happened in the early seventies…” and “He borrowed my DVDs…” is 1970s and DVDs because even in those words, the apostrophe still denotes possession. “The DVD’s cover was removed without my permission,” and not “I loaned him my DVD’s.” That’s just a glaringly-obvious error to me.
After I began seeing apostrophes all over Facebook and after a respected history professor corrected my use of “1870s” in an essay and then deducted points for a misspelling (I corrected him), I began to purposely seek out the way this was handled by various publications and other periodicals from professionals. What I discovered was that reputable magazines and newspapers that should and do know better follow the CMoS guide and leave out the apostrophe, rightly reserving it for possession only, which is the clear rule we learned in high-school from our “Blue Book of Grammar”. Why it’s now fallen into question is beyond me, but we can’t let social media begin dictating every single area of our lives, or else as a country, we’re going to be even more functionally-illiterate than we currently are now.
And actually, writers for the New York Times don’t use the apostrophe. Below is the first article I checked:
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/10/dining/a-trip-to-the-saltry-restaurant-in-alaska.html
These writers used “1920s” in their article.
“We recently learned that the New York Times reversed a policy they had in place for many, many years for writing decades with an apostrophe (1980’s). We revised our response to Elizabeth to reflect this change.”
Question:
When somebody says in September “there is a walk through in March and contracts will be awarded in the next November” does that move the November to the year after the March? If not should it not be “There is a walk through in March and contracts will be awarded in the November” or even “There is a walk through in March and contracts will be awarded in November”? 3 options to be used in September 2014, which November does each refer to?
Your first two example sentences contain unnecessary words, and the meaning is unclear. Also, the noun walk-through is usually spelled with a hyphen, although it is sometimes spelled “walkthrough.” When used as two separate words, it has a different meaning, as in “He will walk through the door, and we will all shout, ‘Surprise!’ ”
“There is a walk-through in March and contracts will be awarded in November” indicates the November that follows March in the same year. To be perfectly clear, one could write “There is a walk-through next March and contracts will be awarded in November,” OR “There is a walk-through in March 2015, and contracts will be awarded in November of the same year.”
I have to write date and time for an agenda. Is this correct in British English?
12th of November 2014
10am-4:30pm
or
10AM-4.30PM
10:00am-4:30pm
Our book and website represent American English rules. You may wish to refer to the Oxford Guide to Style.
This is NOT correct according to AP style:
You may use AM and PM, A.M. and P.M., am and pm, or a.m. and p.m.
Some put a space after the numeral, others do not
It is only a.m. or p.m. None of the other options are correct.And there is a space after the numeral.
This site and The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation represent American English rules, not strictly AP Stylebook rules. Other style guides allow options in addition to a.m. and p.m.
What is the correct way to express that multiple infractions were observed with someone? Example: Specifically, on August 1, 2014, August 5, 2014 and September 3, 2014, you were observed taking an extended lunch break.
Your sentence is correct with an added comma after the second date.
Specifically, on August 1, 2014, August 5, 2014, and September 3, 2014, you were observed taking an extended lunch break.
Could you please help to indicate the correct ones (based on US English)?
Review was conducted during the period of July 14, 2014, through August 23, 2014.
or
…. during the period July 14, 2014, through August 23, 2014
Thanks.
Review was conducted during the period of July 14, 2014, through August 23, 2014.
On or about the 29th day of October, 2013, it was said that or
On or about the 29th day of October 2013, it was said that
A comma after October is correct.
What is correct?:
May 4, 1957, through June 1, 1958.
May 4, 1957 through June 1, 1958.
Our Rule 6 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
Therefore, write “May 4, 1957, through June 1, 1958.”
Would it be correct to say “in the 28th minute of the game”? Or is the ‘th’ dropped to read “in the 28 minute of the game”? Which is correct AP style for print journalism?
You could say “in the 28th minute of the game” or you could avoid the ordinal by saying, “28 minutes into the game.”
AP Stylebook says, “Numbers used to indicate order (first, second, 10th, 25th, etc.) are called ordinal numbers. Spell out first through ninth: fourth grade, first base, the First Amendment, he was first in line. Use figures starting with 10th.”
I need to know if times are meant to be written with a “.” or with a “:”
Such as… 12.30
or 12:30
are they both grammatically correct? And
They are both grammatically correct, however, in American English the colon is more commonly used to write the time of day.
Is it correct to write?
” ..whereas that, the fifteenth of January two thousand seven”
Thanks for the help! This is a great site.
Since your sentence is incomplete, it is difficult to say if it is correct without knowing the remainder of the sentence. In addition, it would help to know the context and purpose of the writing.
Which is more appropriate to write?
Work Bucket Status as of 5:00PM EST, 10/11/2014
OR
Work Bucket Status as of 10/11/2014, 5:00PM EST
Thank you.
They are both acceptable.
When you want to emphasize a date when something must be completed, which is the correct format? Example: would it be ‘…must be completed by December 27th’ or ‘…must be completed by December 27’
Thanks!
We recommend writing “must be completed by December 27.”
kindly assist with this – write each time, 12hr, 24hr. time 1;15,12;00 and 7;35.
Thanks
It is impossible to answer your question unless we know whether the times are AM or PM.
With regards to dates: if a date is used in the middle of a sentence, does it require a comma after?
I.e. I found November 8, 2012(,) to be of abominable weather for sailing.
An addendum: Is it always required, or dependent on the sentence as well?
A comma is required after writing a complete date in the middle of a sentence.
I recently emailed a boss of mine and I am troubled whether the below sentence was correct.
“Also, please note that we have received the attached document today, 10/11/2014, at morning.”
I shall appreciate your swift response.
Thanks!
The Chicago Manual of Style (9.36) suggests, “For practical reasons, all-numeral styles of writing dates (5/10/99, etc.) should not be used in formal writing (except with certain dates that may be known that way: e.g., 9/11, for September 11, 2001).” It is up to you to determine whether an email to your boss constitutes “formal writing.” Also, in American English “at morning” would be written “in the morning.” Therefore, we recommend rewording to the following:
“Also, please note that we have received the attached document today, October 11, 2014, in the morning.” OR
“Also, please note that we have received the attached document this morning, October 11, 2014.”
I am wondering what is the correct way to write out lengths of employment.
He has worked here for 1 year and 9 months.
or
He has worked here for one year and nine months.
thank you
We recommend “He has worked here for one year and nine months.”
I would like to know if the following date is gramatically correct, “I will not have access to my e-mail until March 30”? Thank you in advance.
Your sentence is correct with a period after the date. You may also be interested in reading our blog Hyphen Help Us: E-mail vs. Email.
I am making small discriptive placques to identify pictures that will be displayed publicly. I need help with how to write dates that I am not excatly sure of. For instance, there is a photo of a couple and I think it is from the 1920s.
Is that the correct way to write it? Or should I say c.1920s
If you are unsure of the date, we recommend writing “c. 1920s” or “circa 1920s.”
How do you write a range of months: 3 to 6 months, three to six months, or with hyphens?
We recommend writing “three to six months.”
Frankly speaking, this is just the page I had been looking for for clearing my confusion of writing dates.
Thank you. This helped me
P.S.: Correct me if I have made any grammatical error, because I do not have english as my first language. And, I always believe in improving my english
We are glad you find our website helpful. We recommend you find a friend or a tutor, or sign up for a class where you can receive helpful instruction to improve your writing.
My question is about what is the correct form:
1.- Date of services or
2.- Dates of service.
Thanks in advance!!
Both can be correct, however, they are different in meaning. “Date of services” refers to one date and more than one service. “Dates of service” refers to multiple dates and only one service.
How to write work schedule (time sheet and money made)
Ex. (2/11/15)in-5:00p.m/out-8:48p.m=(3hrs,48min)(8.05/hr)=~$28.00
(2/12/15)in-10:12p.m/break-2:12 a.m-2:49a.m(37min break)out-5:06a.m=(6 hrs,17min)(8.05/hr)=~$50.00
The way you have written dates and times is acceptable. There are many different ways to write time sheet information. We suggest that you set up a spreadsheet (if you don’t know how, a friend or coworker can help you) to make the information easier to read.
if I were to write a novel in the form of a diary and needed to put dates like 19/02/2012 before a paragraph, would that be okay? or would it be better to write 19th of February 2012?
what if I had a word limit and needed to put down a date quite frequently?
We do not recommend all-numeral styles of writing dates in formal writing. If you have a word limit, it is your decision, however, please note that in American usage the first numeral refers to the month and the second to the day. In the usage of other English-speaking countries and of most European languages it is the other way around. This could be confusing for the reader.
What is the correct way to punctuate this sentence:
She was born on November 27, 2003 in Orlando, Florida.
This is the way that I punctuated it and I was told I was wrong. So I need some help.
Our Rule 6 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
When you put time a.m. or p.m. at the end of a sentence do you need another period after that to end the sentence?
We will meet on Friday, March 6, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Please indicate if you will or will not be able to attend.
OR
We will meet on Friday, March 6, 2015 at 10:00 a.m.. Please indicate if you will or will not be able to attend.
No, do not write a second period after a.m. Also, our Rule 6 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
We will meet on Friday, March 6, 2015, at 10:00 a.m.
I have a pair of lines in a poem:
Sometimes I see the clock
and it’s approaching Three.
Because I am using the number in a colloquial sense and cannot append a.m. if I am to maintain the rhythm and rhyme, I debated whether or not to use the capital to emphasise that the number refers to the hour. Which is correct?
Your intentions seem clear to us; no need to capitalize.
Which is the correct way to write this date?
October, 2010
OR
October 2010
The note to our Rule 6a of Commas says, “No comma is necessary for just the month and year.”
How would you refer to two years out? Next Year plus one, current year plus two, 2 years from this year.
We recommend writing “two years from now.”
Which is correct to write?
Where will he go at 5 o’clock on friday August 5th?
Policies differ. Where will he go at five o’clock (or 5 o’clock) on Friday, August 5?
What does the comma signify in thus formatted date: November 27, 2003?
Why haven’t you allowed for the format 15 August 2003 (Was I supposed to put that in inverted commas?), once preferred by The Chicago Manual of Style?
In the month-day-year style of dates, commas are used to set off the year. The day-month-year system is standard in British English, and no commas are used. The Chicago Manual of Style represents American English rules, as does this website.
I have read that in dialogue it is proper to use text not numerals when it comes to pm or am. Is this true? I have written “Where were you between 7 and 10pm” but do I have to change it ti text?
Our Rule 4b of Writing Numbers says, “Using numerals for the time of day has become widely accepted. However, some writers prefer to spell out the time, particularly when using o’clock.” It is largely a matter of writers’ preference.
Do I need a comma after “8:30 a.m.” in this statement noting date and time:
“Smith is expected to give opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 2.”
We use AP format but this usage is not specifically addressed in the AP style guide. Thanks.
The placement of a comma in your example is fine if you wish to put it there.
In writing dialogue, I know you should spell out the numbers, but what if, when a character is speaking, I wanted to spell out something like “History 101”? Would it be “History one 0 one” or “History one-0-one?”
If you don’t want to write numerals in your dialogue, you could try something like “History one-oh-one.” But we ourselves could never recommend this solution. We agree with Associated Press policy, which has no problem prescribing “History 101” in direct quotations.
I am in law enforcement and I have to constantly write date and time. I was hoping you can advise the correct punctuation of the following:
On April 5, 2015 at approximately 15:33 hours, the suspect went into his vehicle.
Thank you.
Our Rule 6 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.” Therefore, the following are correct:
On April 5, 2015, at approximately 15:33 hours, the suspect went into his vehicle.
On April 5, 2015, at approximately 3:33 P.M., the suspect went into his vehicle.
Is it correct to write 9:05 like this?
nine oh five or nine five?
We recommend using numerals when exact times are being emphasized, however, if you prefer to spell out the time of day, you may write:
five minutes past nine o’clock a.m. (or p.m.)
five minutes past nine
When describing a range of dates before a deadline, what is the correct format?
1-2 weeks before the meeting?
2-1 weeks before the meeting?
Generally, the correct format is “1-2 weeks before the meeting.” The term must be spelled out if it begins a sentence: ” One to two weeks before the meeting …”
I’m afraid the following phrase as written on the graduation invitation is incorrect:
Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 3-6 PM
Thank you,
Invitations do not always observe grammar rules. In normal prose a comma should be placed after the year, and we prefer to omit the word “at” or write “from 3 to 6 PM.”
Would “… the date was the was 24th of September” be correct. Would you add the ‘th or no?
Yes, th is correct in your example as written. You could also write “… the date was September 24.”
Is this the correct way to write a range of dates – Our records indicate that your February 5th, February 12, February 19th, and February 26th payments were posted on March 20, 2015
We recommend writing “Our records indicate that your payments of February 5, 12, 19, and 26 were posted on March 20, 2015.”
What is correct?
1) He died Monday, on January 1.
2) He died on Monday, January 1.
We recommend writing “He died Monday, January 1” or “He died on Monday, January 1.”
Is this wrong to say 1st of January rather than the 1st of January?
For example,
He died Monday, 1st of January.
It’s not wrong, but one is more likely to see “the first of January.”
Can I write September, 14th- October, 4th, 2015?
No comma is necessary between the month and date. We recommend writing “September 14 to October 4, 2015,” or “September 14-October 4, 2015.”
To hyphen or not to hyphen? “48 hour automated reminders” or “48-hour automated reminders”? Thanks!
A hyphen is necessary in the compound adjective 48-hour. We recommend spelling out the number if it begins a sentence (Forty-eight-hour).
It is correct because if you say 24 it is just 24 but if you say 24th sounds like a date in stead of just a number
Writing “Sunday, August 24th, 2008,” is not usually necessary. It is better to write “Sunday, August 24, 2008,” or “Sunday, the 24th of August, 2008.”
Is a comma necessary after the month and day when there is a number of years? For example, your tax returns for the fiscal periods ending February 18, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 are overdue.
Yes, our Rule 1 of Commas says, “Use commas to separate words and word groups in a simple series of three or more items,” and our Rule 6 says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and … always put one after the year, also.”
Your tax returns for the fiscal periods ending February 18, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, are overdue.
When writing out the year (2015) in words, what would be the punctuation (if any) between “Twenty” and Fifteen?”
No punctuation is used in “twenty fifteen.”
I’ve noticed a disturbing new trend of people writing full dates using ordinal numbers, for example: June 3rd, 2015. I’ve seen dates written this way in print, on websites, and even on a CBS Evening News broadcast! What in the world is going on? Are there new rules for writing dates in the 21st century?
Using ordinal numbers in the way you describe is not recommended in American style guides, but there are no hard-and-fast rules.
which sentence is correct – Exam is held in the months of Jan and July every year or Exam is held in the month of Jan and July every year
Since you are referring to both January and July, the plural noun months is correct. But we should add that “the months of” is a wordy, unnecessary phrase here.
The exam is held in January and July every year.
Is the following sentence written correctly? If not, how should it be written?
The claimant continued to work from the day of the accident on May 15th to May 25, 2015, when she went on medical leave.
We recommend tightening the sentence up a bit:
The claimant continued to work from the day of the accident, May 15, 2015, to May 25, at which point she went on medical leave.
I just want to clear my knowledge on using “in” and “on” with dates. Until this moment, am still using “in” when one of the elements of dates, “month, day or year”, is missing while “on” is used when the elements are complete.
Use in when referring to a month or a year alone. Use on when referring to a day of the week or a specific date. Examples:
in July
in 2015
in July 2015
on Saturday
on July 17
on Saturday, July 17, 2015
Please tell whether this sentence is correct or not.
“Meeting fixed on 12th August, 2015 at 10 AM from Auditorium”
We are guessing that you mean “The meeting is scheduled for August 12, 2015, at 10 a.m., in the auditorium.”
where would I put the commas in this sentence:
I was born June 30 1986 in fresno California at memorial birthing center.
Our Rules 6 and 7 of Commas state, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also,” and “Use a comma to separate a city from its state, and remember to put one after the state, also.” The proper names of the city as well as the center should be capitalized.
I was born June 30, 1986, in Fresno, California, at Memorial Birthing Center.
which one is correct?
1. The train is due at 1:15 p.m.
2. The train is due on 1:15 p.m.
3. The train is due in 1:15 p.m.
The preposition at is correct when stating the time of day.
I have a question. When indicating a number is as of that quarter, which one of below is more appropriate:
As of 2Q, 2015 or
As of 2Q 2015 or
As of Q2, 2015 or
As of Q2 2015
AP Stylebook recommends spelling out second quarter fiscal year 2015 in text. Writing Q2 FY2015 is acceptable in a headline.
Does this look correct as a response for setting a time for a conference call?
Hi Rachel,
Thank you for reaching out to me. I am available this week Friday, September 4th between 11:30 am – 2:00 pm. Next week I am available Wednesday, September 9th between 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, and Thursday, September 10th between 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. You can reach me by calling 618-978-3732. I look forward to speaking with Mr. Smith.
Regards,
There are numerous problems in your sentences. Here is our recommendation:
Thank you for reaching out to me. I am available this week Friday, September 4, between 11:30 am and 2:00 pm. Next week I am available Wednesday, September 9, between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, and Thursday, September 10, between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.
How do I properly punctuate this series of dates in a single sentence?
” Meetings were held on December 15, 29, 2014 January 5,6,23, 2015, March 10, 2015 and May 21, 2015″.
Our Rule 3 of Semicolons says, “Use a semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas.” Also, periods always go inside quotation marks in American English. In addition, you are missing a few spaces after some of your commas. Finally, the “15, 29” and “5, 6, 23” constructions are awkward.
“Meetings were held on December 15 and 29, 2014; January 5, 6, and 23, 2015; March 10, 2015; and May 21, 2015.”
I hope you can solve an issue between a co-worker and I. Which is the proper way to write this sentence or are they both acceptable? Perhaps they are both wrong.
At 2315 on 26 September 2015, Table Games Supervisor John Smith failed to close 1BJ5 correctly.
At 2315hrs, on 26 September 2015, Table Games Supervisor John Smith failed to close 1BJ5 correctly.
Thank you for your time.
The term “table games supervisor” might be more of a job description than a job title. If so, you do not need to capitalize.
In American English, one option is to write “At 11:15 p.m. on September 26, 2015, table games supervisor John Smith failed to close 1BJ5 correctly.”
If you must use the twenty-four-hour system, the following are options:
At 2315 hours on September 26, 2015, table games supervisor John Smith failed to close 1BJ5 correctly. OR
At 2315h on September 26, 2015, table games supervisor John Smith failed to close 1BJ5 correctly.
Please confirm what is correct
I went on dated 05.06.2015
or
I went on 05.06.2015
Neither is correct in formal prose. We recommend writing “I went on May 6, 2015.”
Fill in the blank
The train is due — 1pm.
The train is due at 1pm.
How do I writeproperly my birth date, June 6 1954 in all numbers?
Is it: 06/04/54 or 06/04/1954 or 6/4/1954 or 6/4/54?
Since using all-numeral style is not recommended in formal writing, there is no preferred format. All of your examples are acceptable.
Is the following usage right?
A statement for 10.10.2015.
In formal prose we recommend writing “a statement for October 10, 2015.”
Excellent website.
1) Please find…..count as of 3pm EST.
2) Please find…..count as on 3pm EST.
3) Please find…..count at 3pm EST.
Kindly let me know the correct sentence.
We cannot advise you without seeing complete sentences.
I need to write to following out exactly as it is: His birthday is on Sunday the seventh of December.
So is it okay to use this as is without the need for a comma after Sunday. It would seem to me that a comma would disturb the way this is read.
Since there is a natural tendency to pause slightly after the word Sunday when your sentence is spoken, we recommend “His birthday is on Sunday, the seventh of December.” However, since there is no hard and fast rule on this, “His birthday is on Sunday the seventh of December.” is also acceptable. Our preference is “His birthday is on Sunday, December 7.”
I am trying to advise customers that our business will be moving. We have a date range, but not a specific date. Would it be proper to say “on or around November 16th” or “on or about November 16th”?
We recommend writing “on or around November 16” or “on or around the 16th of November.”
question for a date written on a tombstone:
should it be written as this:
MARRIED MARRIED
MAY 5, OR MAY 5
1979 1979
There are no rules that apply specifically to tombstones. In formal prose, there is a comma after May 5.
my birthday is on December 27, 1998
The word on is unnecessary. Also, you are missing a capital letter at the beginning of your sentence and a period at the end.
Is this date correctly written…..
December 4th-11th, 2015
We recommend writing “December 4-11, 2015.”
Just wondering if a comma is required when date is written as 09/30/15.
My bank balance as of 09/30/15, was $100.
A comma is not required when you are writing a date with all numerals.
Is there a comma before the time?
If your time is entered by an office assistant or supervisor, please forward your information to that person by 8 a.m., Monday, December 28.
In your sentence, there should not be a comma before the time. Putting a comma after 8 a.m. is optional.
Is it wrong to write
On 11/15/2015, At approximately 1300 hours, I spoke with Daniel.
By capitalizing the At does it make it incorrect?
Yes, capitalizing at makes your sentence incorrect.
Which one should we write : 19th of January 2016 or 19th January 2016? With or without ‘of’ ? If with ‘of’, why ?
When using an ordinal number, such as 19th, the word of is generally a good idea since it implies “the 19th day of January, 2016.” A comma is customarily used before the year. You may also write “January 19, 2016.”
while referring to dates/days, which one is correct?
a) The last date FOR registration is dd/mm/yy
b) The last date OF registration is dd/mm/yy
Both options are grammatically correct (without using all caps, of course).
is it Fall 2016 or Fall, 2016? Thank you.
We recommend “Fall 2016,” but remember, fall the season is not capitalized unless it is the first word in the sentence.
How do we write a time duration when it has only two days? For example on a certificate for event held only for two days which of the following is correct? Or What is the correct way of writing the dates at the last line of the certificate? I knew that a duration less than 3 days should not be written as from and to but rather a hyphen or comma or & may be used. Kindly suggest.
from 11th to 12th February, 2016.
from 11-12 February, 2016
February 11-12, 2016
February 11 & 12 2016
February 11th & 12th, 2016
We recommend writing “February 11-12, 2016.”
Can I say 5 o’clock p.m.? or is the correct only 5 o’clock in the afternoon or 5 p.m.?
There are differing policies for expressing time. For example, The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that the number be spelled out when using o’clock, and that numerals with a.m. and p.m. be used when exact times are emphasized. AP Stylebook uses the shortened version 5 p.m. It is probably best to choose one style or the other.
five o’clock in the afternoon
5:00 p.m.
5 p.m.
Other valid options include 5 PM, 5 P.M., 5:00 PM, and 5:00 P.M.
Is there supposed to be a comma in the following sentence? If so, where should it be placed? THANK YOU!
On the 23rd day of February 2016 the above-entitled cause of action was presented to the Court.
There should be two commas.
On the 23rd day of February, 2016, the above-entitled cause of action was presented to the Court.
Re, “During the 1980’s, the world’s economy grew,” — that is actually incorrect, as 1980s is plural (encompassing all the years in that decade), rather than possessive. Now,f you were to say, “During 1980’s first quarter, the world’s economy grew,” THAT would be correct (at least grammatically; not sure about factually), as you would be referring to that particular year’s first quarter. Cheers!
Please see our reply of August 26, 2014, to Elizabeth.
When writing about something that spans two consecutive years, such as a school term, where the first two digits of both years are the same, is it necessary to repeat the those digits in the second year. For example, “The committee is accepting applications for the 2016-17 school year.” Or should should it be the 2016-2017 school year?
Both options are acceptable.
Could you please advise on the correct way of listing multiple dates? Where do we place the commas and the word “and”?
a) January 1, and February 1, 2014; and July 4, August 6, and September 3, 2015.
Or
b) January 1 and February 1, 2014; July 4, August 6 and September 3, 2015.
Thank you.
January 1 and February 1, 2014; July 4, August 6, and September 3, 2015.
For writing a date on a wedding invitation, in which the date follows the month, is it acceptable to spell out the date in full?
For example:
“Saturday, September Twenty-Four”
instead of the following options:
– Saturday, September 24
– Saturday, the twenty-fourth of September
– Saturday, the 24th of September
Thanks!
Invitations have their own sets of rules and styles and are not always the same as formal writing. It is really up to your own sense of aesthetics.
To which word classes do years, written as numerals such as 1967, belong? Eg. ‘In the 1848 revolution’ ‘by 1948’ , ‘In 1848..’ ‘From 1848 to 1862’. I’m thinking we have a mix of adjectives and nouns here but wonder about adverbial phrasing too?
A year is generally a noun. It can also be used as a descriptive adjective, as in your example “in the 1848 revolution.” In your other examples, the year is a noun used in an adverbial prepositional phrase.
I would just like to ask what if I would put in the year first, then the date? For example:
“The event shall end on 2017, March the 31st.”
Is this considered proper grammar?
Writing the year first is not generally recommended. In formal prose we prefer writing “The event shall end on March 31, 2017.”
When writing out times, is it ok to say “four a.m.” or would it have to be either “4:00 a.m.” or “four o’clock”?
Please see our response of February 22, 2016, to Sofiia.
How about not including weekends? For example, I want to write a course dates and time from May 16-21 and May 23-27. How do I write this the simplest way? Thank you
Writing May 16-21 and May 23-27 followed by the time is the simplest way to write a span of dates.
How do you write military time in a fictional piece? “He left at 0900 hours” or he left at oh-nine-hundred”? Ooh, and if I may, one more question? How do you write “he has 20/20 vision” or “twenty/twenty vision” or “twenty-twenty vision” or none of the above? Thank you!
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends using four digits to express military time. Therefore, write “He left at 0900 hours.”
“Twenty-twenty vision” and “20/20 vision” are both grammatically correct.
If a date is written or typed alone–not in a sentence–is a comma needed between the day and month? For example:
Tuesday April 12, 2016
Yes, we recommend a comma between the day and month.
Is it “at the end of week 9 or week nine”? Same question if the number was in front, such as 10 weeks or ten weeks?
Thank you!
Our post Numbers: Words or Numerals? addresses this question. Except for a few basic rules, spelling out numbers vs. using figures is largely a matter of writers’ preference. Consistency is the key. Both the Chicago Manual of Style and AP Stylebook recommend writing out the number nine, but they differ regarding writing 10 vs. ten. There is no difference between writing “at the end of week nine” or “at the end of nine weeks.” Of course, numbers beginning sentences must be written out.
Police reports are of interest to me. Please look at the below sentence and give me your feedback.
On April 24, 2016 at approximately 0715 hours, I was responding to a call and had a blowout.
Is this better:
On April 24, 2016 at approximately 0715 hours I was responding to a call and had a blowout.
Would using military time be the same as standard time in reference to commas?
Yes, the commas are the same. There should also be a comma after the year.
On April 24, 2016, at approximately 0715 hours, I was responding to a call and had a blowout.
On April 24, 2016, at approximately 7:15 AM, I was responding to a call and had a blowout.
I am trying to write the artist’s name, title of their artwork, date of artwork, and city of artwork in one sentence. Would I just punctuate it like this…
Kazimir Malevich in his artwork Suprematist Composition: White on White, 1918, MoMA, New York, uses empty space to construct a square and monochromatic hue.
I feel like there’s too many comas but please help me get the write format. THANK YOU!
The title of the artwork should be italicized.
Kazimir Malevich, in his artwork Suprematist Composition: White on White, 1918, MoMA, New York, uses empty space to construct a square and monochromatic hue.
In a formal letter, is it okay to place the “nd, th, st, etc” behind the date with the year being omitted.
For example, “I would like you to attend our banquet April 22nd”. Or is this correct, “I would like you to attend our banquet April 22”.
Should the “nd” be there or not in a formal letter?
Thanks in advance!
Writing “April 22nd” is not recommended in American style guides. When a day is mentioned without the year, the number is usually spelled out in ordinal form (April 22).
Can Time be written as 20 PM is it right ??
No. Perhaps you mean 2:00 PM.
I’m writing an assignment and I don’t know the correct way of writing 2011-2012.
Do I write between 2011 and 2012?
Thank you.
We would need more contextual information, but 2011–12 is a possibility.
Which is correct: 3-6 months, or three to six months?
Since both 3 and 6 are under ten, should I spell it out?
Since both major style manuals advocate spelling out the numbers three and six, we recommend writing three to six months. (We are repeating your question and our response under the post Numbers: Words or Numerals?
Should fiscal year be capitalized in the following sentence?
The annual financial report was generated for Fiscal Year 2016.
Most editors would not capitalize “fiscal year 2016.”
We are trying to word our wedding reception card and had a question on the correct grammar for prepositions between two times. Are “to” and “until” interchangeable, or is one more formal/proper than the other? Example:
Dinner and dancing from 7:30PM to midnight
Dinner and dancing from 7:30PM until midnight
Also, if we chose to use “til” as an abbreviation does it require and apostrophe beforehand (’til) to be formally correct?
To and until are both acceptable in your example sentences. Regarding the word till, the Chicago Manual of Style says, “This is a perfectly good preposition and conjunction {open till 10 p.m.}. It is not a contraction of until and should not be written ’til. (Also see Till, ‘Til in our Confusing Words and Homonyms section on our GrammarBook.com website.)
I would like to ask how to write the date of the document.
For example:
The Decree is adopted on June 22, 2015.
So can i write “The Decree dated June 22, 2015”
Or
Beginning of a document, can i use “Ho Chi Minh City, dated June 22, 2015”.
Thanks for your respond.
We would need to see the entire sentences to give you the advice you seek. To our eyes, “Ho Chi Minh City, dated June 22, 2015” is highly unusual wording. Here is what we can tell you: Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, as you have done. If the date appears mid-sentence, always put one after the year also. Legal documents have their own set of rules. We recommend consulting a legal style manual for further recommendations.
We’re drafting an agreement and need to include a definition following a date. We wonder which is correct:
…..the Consulting Services Agreement between x and y that has an Effective Date of August 03, 2016, (such agreement, the “CSA”). OR
…..the Consulting Services Agreement between x and y that has an Effective Date of August 03, 2016 (such agreement, the “CSA”).
The issue is whether the comma should be retained after the year.
We recommend no comma after “2016.” However, legal documents have their own sets of rules. We suggest consulting a legal style manual.
How to write the time in 24-hour format?
Is this format correct: “15:00 – 16:00 hrs.”?
Thank you very much.
A colon is not used in this format. Write 1500-1600 hours or 1500-1600h.
What is the correct way to write the following date range for an incident that occurred between May and August 2016:
From May 2016 to August 2016, …
From May 2016, to August 2016, …
From May, 2016, to August, 2016, …
Thank you!
The simplest form is “From May to August 2016, … “
actually apostrophes are not to be used with years and decades!!!! 80’s or 1980’s is completely wrong!!!!!!! in fact, it’s the first time I see a reputable source saying that such uses are acceptable …
You are mistaken. Up until sometime in the later 20th century, constructions like the 1970’s and the 70’s were the preference of many distinguished editors.
How do you write (formally) half past midnight. Should I write
The race starts at 00:30 a.m.
Can I then continue …
the race finishes at 1:30 a.m.
or do I then have to write
the race finishes at 01:30 a.m.
Can I write
The race starts at 0:30 a.m.
or 12:30 a.m.
We recommend the following:
The race starts at 12:30 a.m. and finishes at 1:30 a.m.
1.when the letters are written,they must be posted.
2.when the students was reading this english article he understood nearly everything
May i know the correct way of transfer these into tenses.and the rule
We are not sure what you are asking. Your first sentence has a plural subject and is written in present tense. Your second sentence is past tense; however, the subject, verbs, and pronoun do not agree. You are also missing proper capitalization and punctuation. The following are correct:
When the letters are written, they must be posted.
When the students were reading this English article, they understood nearly everything. OR
When the student was reading this English article, he understood nearly everything.
I understand the correct full date format should be: Saturday, October 8, 2016, at 3:00 pm.
But what if I don’t want to say “at” a certain time? For example, as an introduction to a book’s chapter where I want to indicate when something took place, so it’s more of a dateline. Would it be: Saturday, October 8, 2016, 3:00 pm?
Thank you in advance!
Using the word at is optional in the situation you describe. Your dateline is fine.
today is October 18 th, 2016. If i said, I had a surgery last July-which July is correct? 2015 or 2016?
Your intended meaning may be misunderstood. For clarity we recommend rewriting to one of the following:
I had surgery this past July. OR
I had surgery in July of last year.
Is it inappropriate to omit “th” from the date like this?
“Saturday the 20”
When using the article the, write “Saturday the 20th.” If you include the month, do not use “th,” as in “Saturday, June 20.”
as i was working as a English teacher in local school in asia, i saw the local teacher asked little children to write the date top right “12 December, 2016. ” with a full-stop punctuation. i waned to know is it correct?
Another thing is that when i was making worksheet, i added few pictures to the worksheet (for preschooler aged 5) and each picture was labeled , one was a picture of sand on a beach and i labeled it “sand” , as my past 9 years experience, my previous coordinators will mark it correct. As i came to a new school with new coodinator marked it wrong and was asked to label “sands” below the picture, as the worksheet of that publisher also labeled as “sand”
please guide me due to i am getting very confused.
A date used alone should not have a period at the end, since it’s not a full sentence.
A picture of sand on a beach could be labeled as sand or sands.
I’m confuse about writing a date. School will vacate on 22nd December and reopen on 16th January. Should i write school vacates on 22nd to 16th or i should write 22nd to 15th
In American English we more commonly hear phrases such as “school will close,” “school will be closed,” “students will be on vacation,” etc., rather than “school will vacate.” Assuming that the vacation begins on December 22, we recommend writing “School will be closed from December 22 through January 15.”
I am a court reporter and have a few questions on what would be appropriate when needing to transcribe verbatim what has been testified to:
heighth or height
the winter of 2014-15 or 2014-’15
the winter of 14-15 or ’14-’15
When they say their height and say six-four (6’4″)
Thank you in advance!
There are no specific rules that apply to this kind of specialized usage. We recommend:
the winter of 2014-15
the winter of ’14-’15
[My height is OR I’m] six-four should work fine.
If I am writing an essay, would the following be correct? If not, could you please help/suggest? Thanks
Most of the parties were on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of July.
Yes.
How do you write May 6, 13, 20, 2017. Is this correct
We recommend writing May 6, 13, and 20, 2017. If the dates are written in the middle of a sentence, place a comma after the year.
Which is correct “Schedule ending March 30th” or “Schedule ending March 30”?
The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule 9.32 states, “When specific dates are expressed, cardinal numbers are used, although these may be pronounced as ordinals. In addition, see our Rule 9 of Writing Numbers. Therefore, we recommend writing “Schedule ending March 30.”
Do we read the hour (numeral) after having used the synonym? Or we have just to leave it out while reading.
For exemple:
I’ll meet her at midnight 12:00 in front of the cinema.
Leave it out.
I can’t find this anywhere… is it preferable to write 10 years and four months or 124 months? Is there a style guide for something like this?
Although there is no formal rule, our sense is that the simplest forms would be “ten years and four months” or “10 years and 4 months.” Deciding whether to write numbers as numerals or spell them out is a matter of style; however, consistency is important. The term “124 months” seems more cumbersome as your readers may be required to convert that term to years and months to make sense of it.
When writing a date range in formal letter, would it be written as “July 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012” or “July 1, 2010, to December 31, 2012?”
Our Rule 9 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.” Therefore, your second example is correct.
How do I start paragraph with a date? The sentence is ’25 March dawned bright and sunny.Thank you
Our Rule 1 of Writing Numbers says, “Spell out all numbers beginning a sentence.” Therefore, we recommend rewriting the sentence. The following are grammatically correct:
March 25 dawned bright and sunny.
The 25th of March dawned bright and sunny.
English dates are formed by adding the ordinal suffix “th” to the end of corresponding cardinal numbers (four, five, six …), for example: four becomes fourth. But there are exceptions to the rule, and are the first three numbers: first, second and third (which are: first, second and third).
You are referring to dates in British English. Our website and reply of May 18, 2017, represent American English rules.
What, if the 24 hour system is used? Doesn’t it make things easier? It eliminates the AM / PM confusion. No?
Although this format does have some advantages, the 12-hour clock is still the standard in civilian life in the U.S.
We are having a debate over commas, after a date, when the date is referring to something else, such as a document. How do you grammatically correctly write the following: The October 7, 2015, agreement stated that ABC was the responsible party.
The debate comes over if you need the comma, after the year, when you are not referring solely to the date, but rather using the date to describe another thing, such as a document. I believe the comma is always placed after the year, if the date is in the middle of a sentence. Can you give us the rule? Thank you!
Your sentence is correctly written. Our Rule 9 of Commas states, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
However, The Chicago Manual of Style considers use of a month-day-year date as an adjective to be an awkward construction and recommends avoiding it. A possible recasting of the sentence, if you wish, might be ABC is the responsible party in accordance with the agreement of October 7, 2015.
Generally, seasons are not capitalized. However, we are revising reports and have a question regarding whether we can capitalize the following: “Student A asserts that in Fall 2015, the teacher discussed religion in her art class.” Or, “The teacher recalled that Student B was frequently absent in Spring 2016 and fell behind in his homework.” Should fall and spring in those instances be capitalized?
Do not capitalize a season unless it is part of a formal name. The Associated Press Stylebook has an example related to your situation: “Within a sentence, it’s the fall 2017 semester.”
Is it okay to use (with no spaces or periods):
the 11:30PM–7:30AM shift
in lieu of:
the 11:30 P.M.-to-7:30 A.M. shift (this is very technically correct but clunky)
the 11:30PM–7:30AM shift (This is much tighter and cleaner; do you support this version?)
And would you support both of these?
(1) the 12 noon–12 midnight time frame
(2) the noon–midnight time frame
(3) the noon-to-midnight time frame
(4) the 12 noon-to-12 midnight time frame
I think the en dashes in (1) and (2) work just fine; do you concur?
Please see our recently updated post Writing Dates and Times. Periods and spaces with AM and PM are optional. Also, “It is clearer to use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m.”
Therefore, the 11:30PM–7:30AM shift OR the 11:30 P.M. to 7:30 A.M. shift are fine,
as are the noon–midnight time frame OR the noon to midnight time frame.
I have a question on the proper way to list dates on a contract for concerts. The concert dates are as follows and this is the way they are presented on the contract.
July 28, 2017
August 4, 11, 18, 25, 2017
September 1, 2017
My question is are August’s dates written correctly with just commas in between or does it need to be written differently?
We’re not lawyers, and we don’t know how this list of dates is introduced in the contract, but it seems to us that the dates are clearly described. The August dates could also be listed as August 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2017.
Is it correct to say 9:00 o’clock A.M.? or does it have to be just 9:00 A.M. ?
We recommend that the number be spelled out when using o’clock, and that numerals with A.M. and P.M. be used when exact times are emphasized.
Therefore, write 9:00 A.M. OR nine o’clock in the morning.
Just use ordinals then there isn’t any confusion. It’s only probably three more characters to type or write. Seems like rules are being made to define when it’s ok to use, and justify the use of cardinals with dates when it isn’t necessary or has logic. Spock would be freaking out on this concept.
Cardinals with dates go against the concept of the date format which is chronological and ordered as it occurs.
When specific dates are expressed, the style manuals recommend using cardinal numbers.
Is a comma needed after the date in the following sentence: The reports for the period December 28, 2015 and earlier were not provided.
Yes, our Rule 9 of Commas says, “Use a comma to separate the day of the month from the year, and—what most people forget!—always put one after the year, also.”
Which one is correct:
Sent to driver 11/30/2017 @ 2:30pm or Sent to driver on 11/30/2017 at 2:30pm?
Since your examples are not complete sentences, we assume these are informal notes, which have no hard-and-fast rules. An example in formal writing might be:
The directions were sent to the driver on November 30, 2017, at 2:30 pm.
I would be eternally grateful to you if you would please assist in settling this debate! The sentence in question is as follows:
“A guaranteed guest count is due by noon two business days prior to the event date.”
OR
“A guaranteed guest count is due by noon, two business days prior to the event date.”
I do not see any reason why the comma in the middle of the second sentence would be correct or at all necessary, but wanted to check with you before fighting my colleague further.
Thank you!
We see no reason for the comma.
Should there be a dash anywhere in the phrase “I slept well during the ninety minute flight.” ?
There should be a hyphen in the compound adjective ninety-minute. Hyphens should not be used interchangeably with dashes. See our rules for Hyphens and our post Hyphens with Numbers for more information.
How do we express dates when it occurs in the future and for a duration? I am not sure if from+to or on+to is best, e.g., “You are allowed to travel to India ON October 10 TO November 5, 2018” versus, “You are allowed to travel to India FROM October 10 TO November 5, 2018.” Thanks!
“You are allowed to travel to India from October 10 to November 5, 2018.”
I’m writing a chronological list of dates of events for a report What is the best way to begin the date with a bullet or a number and should I follow the Date with a colon, semi colon, comma, or dash?
We suggest bullets because you already have numbers in your list of dates. Our post Colons with Lists says, “With tabular format, a colon customarily precedes a list.” Also, capitalization and punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases in bulleted form. While colons, commas, or dashes are acceptable, we would not place semicolons after the date.
Please, advice on following:
Which one is corect to state the report calculated out of information available on certain date (lets say 1st of March 2018)
1. Report as of 01/03/2018
or
2. Report on 01/03/2018
We’re not clear on your context. Our best guess for clarity, based on the European date format, would be the report based on information available on 01/03/2018.
How would you place commas in this classified ad?
Garage Sale Saturday 11th 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 26 Maple Dr.
Since this is informal and not a complete sentence, standard punctuation rules need not apply. We would add the month and omit th. You could punctuate as follows:
Garage Sale, Saturday, May 11, 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., 26 Maple Dr.
How do I write “…for the period of July 1, 2018 through August 31, 2018.”
The word “of” is not needed. Please see our reply of May 18, 2017, to Amorita.
I’ve a question. Is it ever possible to use a precise time range at the beginning of a sentence? For instance:
From 20th – 30th March 2018 a Fair Book took place in a Venetian community centre from 8:00 pm to 17:00 am.
Yes, it is possible. The following is grammatically correct in Amercian English:
From the 20th to the 30th of March, 2018, a book fair took place in a Venetian community center from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. each day.
Which is correct when posting day(s) and time of store opening?
Monday thru Saturday: 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
or
Monday thru Saturday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Either one is acceptable. We recommend writing out “through” unless you are desiring an informal look or are short on space.
How do I write the word “second” in numeric in the question below:
Find me the second season of the movie? Is 1 or 2 correct.
1. Find me the 2nd season of the movie?
or
2. Find me the 2 season of the movie?
Also, how do I write the sentence below:
Add hair appointment at 2:00 to calendar.
1. Add hair appointment, at 2:00, to calendar.
or
2. Add hair appointment at 2:00, to calendar.
We recommend the following in formal writing:
1. Please find the second season of the movie. (Writing 2nd rather than second would be considered informal, and we would not recommend it.)
2. Please add a hair appointment at 2:00 p.m. to the calendar. (There is no reason to place commas in this sentence.)
Which of the following is correct?
…twenty-four hours…
…twenty-four (24) hours…
…24 hours…
Thank you
Writing either “twenty-four hours” or “24 hours” is most commonly seen, depending on which style guide you choose to follow (see our post Writing Numbers). If you have good reason, writing “twenty-four (24) hours” is acceptable (see Writing Numbers as Both Numerals and Words).
I know it doesn’t come up this way in normal writing, but in court reporting it comes up frequently.
How would you write a.m. or p.m. at the beginning of a sentence. For example: A.m.? Or A.M.?
As noted above, A.M. and P.M. are also acceptable abbreviations and would help to avoid confusion at the beginning of a sentence.
What is the correct way to say:
“Please be informed that we will have our strategic planning meetings on December 21 (Friday) and December 28 (Friday).”
It seems weird to state two same days this way. Is there a better and grammatical way to say this?
Your method is acceptable. You could also express it as “Please be informed that we will have our strategic planning meetings on Friday, December 21 and Friday, December 28.”
Is this correct?
I was born on a chilly, Tuesday afternoon.
Or should I leave out the comma? I feel as if Tuesday might be an adjective in this case as it helps describe the afternoon. If that is the case, I know that when using more than one adjective you need to put a comma between them. For example: He rode the big, yellow bus.
My gut says it should not have a comma. Thank you for your time!
See our post Commas, Part 3 for our response.
I would like to seek your help identifying which is correct in using comma. I it sentence number one or two?
1. Our lines are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
2.Our lines are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
I am having a confusion if I should place a comma after “Friday.” I was not able to find any references.
Your answer and explanation are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
If you place a comma after Friday, you should delete the word from:
Our lines are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
When writing the following statement: On March 25 Bob and Charlie met for coffee at the local café.
Is there a comma needed after March 25?
Without the year following, a comma is not required after the date; inclusion would be a matter of writer’s preference.
Is it correct to write 05:00 PM?
The first zero is not necessary. We recommend writing “5:00 PM.”
What is the correct way to write this?
We are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Your proposed method is fine. If you would like to cut down on punctuation, you could also consider a method common in marketing prose: We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Which is correct regarding the comma after the month and before the year?
Signed on this the 5th day of May, 2019.
or
Signed on this the 5th day of May 2019.
Thanks.
We are not aware of any strict standard that applies here, but grammatically speaking, “the 5th day of May, 2019” is in apposition to “this.” Therefore, we recommend writing:
“Signed on this, the 5th day of May, 2019.”
It may also be acceptable to write “Signed on this, the 5th day of May 2019.”
I entered the class before it was 3PM or if we use “it being 3 PM” than it’s right or not
We’re not sure exactly what you’re asking, but any of the following could be grammatically correct statements in American English:
I entered the class before 3:00 PM.
I entered the class before it was 3:00 PM.
I entered the class, it being 3:00 PM.
Because it was 3:00 PM, I entered the class.
As it was 3:00 PM, I entered the class.
Since it was 3:00 PM, I entered the class.
(Since an exact time is being emphasized, we recommend writing 3:00 PM rather than 3 PM.)
Is it correct to say, “You are scheduled to come in on October the 3rd”?
The word the is unnecessary in your sentence as written. When speaking you could say, “You are scheduled to come in on October 3rd” or “You are scheduled to come in on the 3rd of October.” In formal writing, we recommend one of the following:
“You are scheduled to come in on October 3.” OR
“You are sheduled to come in on the 3rd of October.”
If we write conscience and Jesus’, then why do we use ‘s again in Prime Minister of Mauritius’s? Thanks.
Please see our reply in the post Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z.
One and a half hours or one and a half hour which is more appropriate?
If you are referring to a time frame, the following options are grammatically correct:
We waited for one and a half hours.
We waited for one and one-half hours.
We waited for an hour and a half.
If you are using the term as a compound adjective in front of a noun, write one-and-one-half-hour.
Example: It was a one-and-one-half-hour meeting.
Please see our posts Hyphenating Between Words, Numbers as Adjectives, and Hyphens with Numbers for more information.
Thank you. What is the rule for using the word “in” or the word “on” for dates, for example on April 1st, in June 2020?
Use “in” when the specific day is missing, for example, “in June,” “in 2020,” “in June 2020.” Use “on” when the day is included, for example, “on June 25” or “on June 25, 2020.”
I don’t see anything regarding writing dates in promotional posters and advertisements. When the day and date are part of a title and NOT on the same line, is a comma necessary? Example:
Youth Group
Sunday
November 24
7-8:30 pm
or should it be:
Youth Group
Sunday,
November 24
7:00-8:30 pm
I create a lot of flyers and advertisements and my editor keeps adding a comma after the day in my titles. When I have the day and date in a sentence I always include the comma but she keeps adding them to my titles. Sometimes with a unique font it looks very awkward.
Also she likes to change my dates to “th” and “st” and “rd” and I think it creates clutter. So “Youth group next Sunday, November 24, in the youth room.” is changed to “Youth group next Sunday, November 24th, in the youth room.”
In a listing of upcoming dates, I prefer
Nov. 24: Topic title
Dec. 1: Topic title
Dec. 8: Topic title
but the editor keeps changing it to:
Nov. 24th:
Dec. 1st:
Dec. 8th:
Please advise so I know how to proceed. Thanks!
Since your examples do not contain complete sentences, standard punctuation rules do not apply. In promotional materials such as posters and advertisements, it’s a matter of style. If listed on one line, we would include commas: Sunday, November 24, 7:00-8:30 pm. When listed on separate lines, we would not use commas. An ordinal suffix could be used if expressed as Sunday, 24th of November, 7:00-8:30 pm.
How do I write this? “This Original post was published on Foodplaza.com on December 4, 2019, 07:10 a.m. (IST)?” There is two ‘on’ in a single line. Please suggest how to write it in a better way.
We don’t see a problem with two occurrences of on in a single line. If desired, you could rewrite in a few different ways. One example could be:
“This original post was published December 4, 2019, 07:10 a.m. (IST) on Foodplaza.com.”
Is there also a comma between day and year in a full date written in words?
Example: October twenty-six(,) nineteen eighty-two
Yes.
Is it possible to say “He wakes at 5:00 in the morning”?
Yes, and it is also correct to say “He wakes up at 5:00 in the morning.”
Would you need to put the p.m after the time in this sentence: “We’ll expect you about 5:30 p.m. tonight”?
Using p.m. and tonight together is redundant. Native speakers might write “We’ll expect you at about 5:30 p.m.” or “We’ll expect you about 5:30 tonight.”
I’m a little confused about where to put the day. For example, I’m holding a ceremony on Monday, March 12, 2020.at 2:30 .pm. Is that correct or should I put the day after the month?
Monday is in the correct place. The sentence should be punctuated as follows:
I’m holding a ceremony on Monday, March 12, 2020, at 2:30 p.m.
Please see our Rule 9 of Commas and our note regarding AM and PM in Rules for Writing Numbers.
An apostrophe after the decade number, as in 80’s, is prevalent but not correct. The s indicates plurality, and there is no grammatical justification for placing an apostrophe between a noun and its plural s. We don’t write “eightie’s” so why would we write 80’s? The simplest (and correct) rule is to use the apostrophe before the decade to indicate omission of the century portion of the year and to always use an s alone, without an apostrophe, after the decade to indicate plurality.
We understand your concern and don’t particularly like that apostrophe either; however, up until sometime in the later 20th century, constructions like the 1970’s and the 70’s were the preference of many distinguished editors. Perhaps we’ll be able to drop it at some point in the future.
Is it ok to write 3 pm to 4 pm or 3 to 4pm while writing in time schedules?
Either is grammatically correct; however, we prefer writing 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm to avoid confusion.
Are these correct?
May you pick a time from 3-3:25 pm
Today is Monday July 6 2020
Writing 3-3:25 is fine; however, we prefer “would you,” “will you,” “can you,” or simply “please,” because you are making a request, not asking permission. See our post Can vs. May for more information.
Commas are used to separate the day of the week and the day of the month from the year.
In addition, your sentences require ending punctuation.Therefore, we recommend the following:
Please pick a time from 3-3:25 pm.
Today is Monday, July 6, 2020.
Would it be correct to write “I was born on the 11th of September”?
Yes.
Is it wrong to write the date as 09 September 2020 or 9 September 2020? I was brought up writing 01 to 09 on my dates.
It appears you are using a military format. The rules on this page apply to formal prose using American English format (September 9, 2020 or the 9th of September, 2020). Unless you are writing for a military audience, we recommend using the standard American English format.
Would it be July 6 at 1:10 PM or July 6th at 1:10 PM and why?
In formal prose we prefer July 6 at 1:10 PM.
Following-up on the meeting of 4 December 2020
For American formal prose, we recommend:
I am following up on the meeting of December 4, 2020.
The format 4 December 2020 may be acceptable or standard in other countries.
In an essay, which one is the most appropriate to use: 5 hours or five hours?
The proper style for numbers would depend on the style guidelines you are following. For example, the Associated Press Stylebook would spell numbers zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and above. The Chicago Manual of Style would spell numbers from zero to one hundred and use numerals for numbers over one hundred. The best approach is to find out if a particular style is expected for the essay. If not, simply choose the style you prefer and be consistent with it.
Is 09:00am correct?
What are the correct formats to express it?
The following are acceptable:
9:00 AM
9:00 am
9:00 A.M.
9:00 a.m.
9:00am
9:00a.m.
I am writing a business letter. At the top I wrote the date as April 5, 2021. I put a period after the year. When dating a letter should I put a period after the year or not?
April 5 2021. or April 5, 2021
A period is not necessary after a date unless the date comes at the end of a complete sentence.
Which is the correct way to write a date in the body of a formal business letter?
We will convene on April 02, 2021.
or
We will convene on April 2, 2021.
I believe when dates are spelled out like this, you should not use a leading zero for dates 1 through 9.
The zero is unnecessary. Write “We will convene on April 2, 2021.”
I write a weekly newsletter where the full date including the year appears at the top of the newsletter (This Week, May 10-16, 2021). Beneath that header are a series of articles about upcoming events with their own dates and times. When listing the dates for these events is it necessary to once again include the year? For Example: Thursday, May 13 • 8:00am.-9:00am, or Thursday, May 13, 2021 • 8am – 9:00am, which is correct? I feel that including the year multiple times in the same weekly newsletter for each and every event seems redundant as the year is already stated at the top and is implied in all the event dates below it. The newsletter goes out each week to the same local community subscribers.
This is a matter of style choice. If you think omitting the year won’t cause any confusion to your readers, we see no problem with it.
Which one is correct: 8:00AM – 9:00PM or 8:00 – 9:00 PM? In written English it should be 8:00 to 9:00 PM, right? But now I have to use the dash. Should it be the same as written English?
If you must use a dash, we recommend writing “8:00 AM–9:00 PM” for clarity. If not using a dash, you can write “8:00 AM to 9:00 PM.” Please see our post How to Use Dashes in Sentences for more information.
Say I’m running a clinic with hours from 1:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
Can I write it like this?
1 – 7:30 p.m.
To ensure clarity, we would suggest writing it as either “1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.” or “1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.”
When writing time in a novel, what is the correct method to use?
1. She arrived at 8:30.
2. She arrived at eight thirty.
3. She arrived at eight-thirty.
As the post states, some writers spell out the time of day; others prefer numbers. This is a matter of style choice. Therefore, eight thirty or 8:30 is correct.
Please, is it correct to say “submission time is on or before 3pm”?
We recommend using the preposition “at” instead of “on.”
“Submission time is at or before 3pm.”
To simplify, you could write “Submission is due by 3pm.”
Is this correct on an invitation or do I need a comma after Friday?
Friday the twenty-first of April at eleven o’clock
There is no hard and fast rule on this, especially for invitations. Invitations have their own sets of rules and styles and do not always follow the rules for formal writing.
Is this following sentence correctly punctuated? Some of my writers want to add a comma after the date, and I need a rule to back me up.
On June 6 at 4:00 p.m., I responded to the scene.
Thank you.
Since your date does not include the year, no comma is necessary. Therefore, your sentence is punctuated correctly.
This is a fantastic guide on writing dates and times correctly! It really simplifies the rules, making it easy to understand when to use different formats. I appreciate how you’ve broken it down with clear examples and explanations.