DATES & YEARS

Dates

Writing the date

We write the date in English in different ways. The most common way in British English is to write the day of the month first, then the month (starting with a capital letter) and then the year:

20 January 1993

14 November 2005

Sometimes the last two letters of the number as spoken can be used (th, rd, st, nd):

Today is September 7th              The grand opening is on 1st June. or … on June 1st.

 

Dates in Spoken English

If you put the day before the month, use the definite article before the day and the preposition of before the month.

5 October 2004 - the fifth of October, two thousand and four

If you put the month before the day, use the definite article before the day in British English. In American English, the definite article can be dropped.

October 5, 2004 - October (the) fifth, two thousand and four

What’s the date today?    

 It’s the first of June. (1st June)   or    It’s June the first. (June 1st)

Years
For years up until 2000, separate the four numbers into two pairs of two:
1965 = "nineteen sixty-five"
1871 = "eighteen seventy-one"
1999 = "nineteen ninety-nine"
For the decade 2001 – 2010, you say "two thousand and —-" when speaking British English:
2001 = "two thousand and one"
2009 = "two thousand and nine"
However, from 2010 onwards you have a choice.
For example, 2012 can be either "two thousand and twelve" or "twenty twelve".

More examples:

1492: fourteen ninety-two

1700: seventeen hundred

1801: eighteen oh /əʊ/ one

1908: nineteen oh eight

2003: two thousand and three or twenty oh three

2012: two thousand and twelve or twenty twelve

If you need to revise ORDINAL NUMBERS click HERE