Grammatically Correct Dating
Are your dating habits grammatically correct?
Yes, dating—as in writing out dates! Even though we learn about the calendar as early as preschool, many of us end up confused over the rules for presenting dates correctly.
Save and share the following guidelines to correct and prevent some of the most common dating errors:
1. Although a comma separates the day and date, place no punctuation between only the month and year.
October 1, 2020
October 2020
2. Omit the comma when showing only the month and day.
October 1
3. Use no comma with the European format of presenting the day, month and year.
1 October 2020
4. If including the day of the week, state it first.
Thursday, October 1, 2020
5. Do not use a superscript—st, nd, rd or th—when the day, expressed as a numeral, follows the month and precedes the year.
Incorrect but common
March 1st
Notably incorrect
October 1st, 2020
Correct
The event is on March 1. (1 pronounced first)
The event is on May 2. (2 pronounced second)
The event is on May 3. (3 pronounced third)
The event is on May 4. (4 pronounced fourth)
The event is on the first of March.
The event is on March first.
6. If you are compelled to include the superscript—st, nd, rd or th—when issuing an informal invite or announcement, the day, expressed as a numeral, should precede the month.
Correct
25th of August
7. When spelling out the month and day, use the ordinal (first, second, third, etc.) form for the day.
Correct
October 1 = October first
1 October = the first of October
Incorrect
October one
October One
8. As a rule, use numerals—not words—to write the year. To avoid beginning a sentence with a number, simply rearrange your words.
We launched in 2015.
versus
2015 is the year we launched.
9. If the circumstance—such as a formal wedding invitation—dictates spelling out the year, American form does not include the word and.
2020 American = two thousand twenty
2020 European = two thousand and twenty
10. When writing out the month, day, and year in a sentence, set off the year with commas.
Will you visit me on October 1, 2020, to celebrate my special birthday?
11. Do not use a comma when indicating only the month and year or the month and day without the year.
Will you visit me on October 1 to celebrate my birthday?
Will you visit me in October 2020 to celebrate my special birthday?
12. Do not use a comma with the European format.
Will you visit me on 1 October 2020 to celebrate my special birthday?
13. For formal publications and presentations, abbreviate only the months with more than five letters—Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept, Oct., Nov. and Dec.—and do so only if the day and year accompany the abbreviation, as in Oct. 1, 2020.
Incorrect
Mar. 1, 2020 (Only five letters in March)
Oct. 1 (No year)
Oct. 2010 (No day)
14. Add the s only when referring to multiple years in a decade or century without the apostrophe.
We lived in California during the 1980s.
The family emigrated to America in the 1900s.
15. Use an apostrophe to truncate the year.
We lived in California during the ‘80s.
I launched my business in ’03.
16. Use an apostrophe with the s only when using the year(s) as an adjective.
She has a 1980’s dress. (The dress is from the year.)
She has 1980s’ clothing. (The clothing is from the decade.)
Is that enough about dating for now? If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me!
My best to you,
Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady