Writing the date is a relatively simple task, but it can get tricky depending on your intended reader and the format you wish to use.
If you’re from the U.S. and want to invite a friend from England to your wedding, for example, you’ll want to be very clear when expressing the date.
Writing out the month will probably be your best bet, but we’ll discuss that in more detail below.
How to Write Dates in a Sentence
To avoid confusion, learn the different formats available for writing dates and how you can make yourself clear no matter who will read it.
Years
Generally speaking, years should be written with numerals, except when they are used to start a sentence.
Examples:
- Today is September 26, 2019.
- In 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States.
- Nineteen sixty-nine was the year man first set foot on the moon.
Month and Day
There are several formats to choose from when writing the month and day, which is also why things can get confusing.
In the first format, month-day-year, a comma should be placed between the day and the year. Note that when the month is spelled out using the month-day-year format, only cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3…) should be used, not ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd…).
Correct: September 26, 2019
Incorrect: September 26th, 2019
The exception to the above rule is when “of” is used.
Example:
- He was born on the 15th of March.
Day of the Week
If you want to specify the day of the week, introduce the day of the week first and separate it from the rest of the date with a comma.
For example:
- Today is Saturday, September 25, 2019.
- I was born on Tuesday, August 11, 1995.
Other Date Formats
While the month-day-year format is the most common in the United States, other countries and regions use different formats.
In Europe and the UK, for example, the most common format is day-month-year.
Examples:
- Her date of birth is 29/11/1994.
- Today is 26 September 2019.
Note in the example above that when using the day-month-year format, you should not include a comma between the month and year.
In Asia, most countries use the year-month-day format.
Example:
- Her date of birth is 1994/11/29.
Know the Cultural Differences
Numeral-only formats are not usually ideal for formal writing, but in more casual circumstances, such as correspondence between friends, the numerical format might be more convenient.
However, it’s important to keep in mind the cultural differences that we noted earlier. If you write frequently with people outside of your geographic region, you may wish to be more clear by spelling the month out.
For example, if I am American and I want to invite my friend from England to my wedding on 10/5/2020, it might be best for me to write “October 5, 2020” or “5 October 2020,” lest I want her to show up on May 10.
As someone who has learned the hard way while living abroad, I can tell you that this extra clarification can really save the day.
Proper Date Formats
Dates can be extremely important pieces of information, especially when you’re signing documents or sending invitations.
By knowing how to write dates properly in both sentences and in numerals, you can communicate more effectively and avoid any potential confusion for your readers.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- How to Fix a Comma Splice: Examples and Quiz
- When to Write Out Numbers: What Chicago, APA, and MLA Say About Numerals
- How to Use Quotation Marks: Rules and Examples
- How to Use Dashes: Your Guide to the Em Dash, En Dash, and Hyphen
As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Hi. When writing non fiction narratives, like personal life experiences, is the date required to have “CE”? What is the trend/rule/ correct thing in formal writing for publishing?
Hi AJ, no, it’s generally not required when writing dates.
If you are writing the sentence as follows:
Effective the 24th day of May 2022.
Would you put a comma after the month and before the year or no comma between month and year?
Hi Jocelyn, I don’t think it really matters, as it’s not a complete sentence anyway. But I think it reads better with the comma
When can the month be dropped?
Earlier this month (April 2022), I asked my friend when his graduation was, because I knew it was coming up
He simply said “the 24th.” I assumed it was these coming Sunday (4/24/2022) and made plans accordingly Turns out its 5/24/2022 Makes sense I guess, knowing Graduations I’ve been involved in But he’s in a specialized one-year program and now days programs start & end at all different times in the year.
Seems to me if the answer is “the 24th,” it implies this month like “for my birthday I’m going to …” implies this year not 3 birthdays in the future & “she’s coining over around 4 in the afternoon” implies today and not two weeks from now, and so on
Hi Dave, yes, I would assume that if someone answered “the 24th” that they were talking about the current month (or if the 24th has already passed, then the next month). I think you were right to assume it was april.
What if you are writing a string of dates within a sentence. Would you include the th, rd, st. For example, please keep March 3, July 8 or March 3rd, July 3rd, etc in mind
Hi Teresa, it depends on your style guide. I know AP just and I think most style guides just use the numerals. But if it’s just informal writing it doesn’t really matter.
How would you write a sentence with multiple day-of-week, same month, dates and same year, as in:
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Monday, May 9, 2022
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Would this be correct with a semicolon between days?:
The event will take place on Sunday, May 8; Monday, May 9; and Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Hi Kwok-Keung, yes, you could separate them with semicolons as you’ve done above. Another option would be: The event will take place Sunday, May 8, through Tuesday, May 10.
How would I write this date:
November and December 2021, or
November and December, 2021.
Hello! Which is proper?
1.April 4, 5, 6, 7 , and May 1 and 2, 2020. Or
2. April 4, 5, 6,7and May 1 and 2, 2020
Thank you.
Hi Kurt, the first one is correct:
April 4, 5, 6, 7, and May 1 and 2, 2020.
What is the proper way to list month and year only? August 2020 and January 2021, or August, 2020 and January, 2021.
Hi Sarah, it’s correct without the comma :) (January 2021)
How do you write multiple dates in a sentence?
ex:
April 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2021
April 6, April 13, and April 27, 2021
April 6, 2021, April 13, 2021, and April 27, 2021
Hi Tara, I can’t find a hard rule for this particular example (where all are same month). I think the first two look the most correct. The third one definitely is not correct, because you would need a semicolon after every “2021”.
Hi. I’m in the awards business and always use dates in a standard format, e.g. May 5, 2021. At times, simply May 2021. I have looked at numerous sites and have not found one which addresses this “Month Year” format. I never use a comma between the month and year but one particular university wants it as “May, 2021”. I do not think that is appropriate but I want to see it officially stated somewhere!
Hi Don, I frequently see the “month year” format you use. Everything I’ve read says the comma should not be included when you’re just referencing a month and year.
I just saw your answer fits my questions. Can you suggest where I can find this literature, as I am using month, year format but my professor also suggested month, year
Hi Jenny, here’s one of the sources that says no comma should be used when the month and year are the only two elements.
What is the proper way to write multiple dates in a month? Example: November 18 & 19, 2020
If the dates are March 4, 2012 through June 24, 2012 in the middle of a sentence. Is there a comma after through?
Hi Crystal, no, there should not be a comma after through.
Is it appropriate to split month from date between two sentences?
“It happened on November
12, 2020.”
Hi Sandra, thanks for your question! I would avoid it if possible, but I don’t think there’s really a rule against it.
Hi. May I ask which preposition is right to use in this line?
Young people convene for workshop “on December 2-5, 2022” or from December 2-5, 2022
Thank you.
Hi Adventh, I usually see “from” when there’s a range of dates, and I think that makes the most sense, since the dash implies “to”.