How to Tell the Date

ALULA staff, Updated on August 24, 2023

  • Remember the sequence: Month - Day - Year.
  • In British English, the format is 'Day - Month - Year'
  • Learn the 12 months in English from January to December.
  • Use the word "the" before the day and "of" after the day, then specify the month in date telling.
  • In the American system, you can say the month before the day.
  • To refer to a specific date use "The date is..." or "The ... is on...". Use the preposition "on" before the date. E.g. "Mother's Day is on May 8th."
  • To state the month of an event, use the preposition "in". E.g. "My birthday is in January."

In English, when you want to say the date, you will find different forms of its usage. It is crucial to understand these forms so that you can communicate effectively. Let's learn the English dates!

Format

A date includes the day of the month, month, and year. It follows the sequence: Month - Day - Year. An example is January 20th, 2023.

In the British English system, the format is 'Day - Month - Year'.

Months in English

Firstly, let's learn how to say the months in English. There are 12 months in a year, starting from January and ending in December.

Calendars

Examples:

  • January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

How to Tell the Dates

When you say a particular date, use the word "the" before the day and "of" after the day. Then, mention the month. For example, "the 5th of June".

Use the ordinal number ("5th", "1st"), NOT cardinal number ("5", "1").

Examples:

  • The 10th of May

  • The 20th of December

In the American English system, you can say the month before the day. For example, "May 10th".

Examples:

  • May 10th

  • December 20th

How to Tell the Date in a Sentence

We can use the sentence: "The date is …" or "The ... is on...". Use the preposition "on" before the date.

Examples:

  • The appointment is May 4th.

  • The appointment is on May 4th.

    Both of these sentences are fine.

  • Mother's Day is May 8th.

  • Mother's Day is on May 8th.

    Both of these sentences are fine.

How to Tell Just the Month

When you want to mention the month of an event, you use the preposition "in".

Examples:

  • My birthday is in February.

    This means your birthday is some time in the month of February.

Practice this topic with the AI English Tutor

AI English Tutor will teach you the grammar and practice it with you in a conversation format. Plus, 100+ practice questions on this topic to cement your understanding.

Get the app

Try ALULA for free on your phone or tablet

Do you have any questions about this lesson? Ask in the comment section, below.