Dates are words that tell us about specific days, months, and years. In English, we use ordinal numbers (like first, second, third) for the day part of a date. We can say dates in different ways, like "January fifth" or "the fifth of January." When writing dates, we use commas in the long format: "January 5, 2024." We also use special words called prepositions to talk about when something happens. The most common are "on" for specific days ("on January 5"), "in" for months or years ("in January," "in 2024"), and "at" for specific times ("at 3 PM").
Month Names
There are 12 months in a year, each with a capitalized name. These are the building blocks for saying and writing dates.
Ordinal Numbers for Days
Ordinal numbers show the order of days in a month. We use "first" for 1, "second" for 2, "third" for 3, and so on, usually adding "-th" for most numbers.
Common Date Formats
English uses a few different ways to say and write dates. The two most common spoken forms are "January fifth" and "the fifth of January." When writing, American English often uses "January 5," while British English uses "5 January."
How do you say January 5th in English?
- January fifth
- the fifth of January
You can say 'January fifth' or 'the fifth of January.' Both are correct; the first is more common in American English, and the second is often used in British English.
Prepositions with Dates
To say when something happens, we use prepositions: "on" for specific days, "in" for months, years, and longer periods, and "at" for exact times. These words help make your meaning clear.
Which preposition do you use for a specific day?
on
'On' is used for specific days and dates, e.g., on January 5th.
Year Numbers
Years are usually said as whole numbers: "twenty twenty-four" or "two thousand twenty-four." They help us talk about when events happened in the past, present, or future.
Practice Questions
Each question includes the correct answer and a brief explanation.
- (What date is your birthday?) — *My birthday is on July 12th.
Use on + [month] + [ordinal number] to specify the exact date.
- (How do you say 21/03/2023 in English?) — *It’s the twenty-first of March, twenty twenty-three.
Use the [ordinal] of [month], followed by the year.
- (Which preposition is correct: “ January” or “ 5th”?) — *In January, on the 5th.
Use in for months and on for specific days.
- (How do you write July twenty-third, two thousand twenty?) — *July 23, 2020.
Use [Month] [day], [year] with a comma before the year.
- (When is Independence Day in the USA?) — *It’s on July 4th.
Use on + [month] + [ordinal] for specific holidays.
Summary
Dates in English use month names, ordinal numbers for days, and years. You can say dates like "January fifth" or "the fifth of January," and write them as "January 5" or "5 January." Use on for days, in for months and years, and at for times. This lets you talk clearly about when things happen.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
