Dates and ordinal numbers in English

Time … How succinctly that word! We are all subject to its flow. Our life is divided into years, months, days. In anticipation of the event, we counted the minutes, in moments of experiences is celebrated every second, plan for the future for years to come and remember the past. Either way, our lives are determined by the concept of «time» and any important event or activity necessarily indicated by a certain date, and it’s not just for birthdays or holidays. Time — a general term for all people, but in its designation of each nationality has its own nuances and clarifications which should be taken into account by studying any foreign language.

And why do we need ordinals English?

To learn how to correctly pronounce or write the date, we need to remember the ordinal numbers in English. The problem is that when you write dates in English, we can use the numbers (1,2,3 …), but in the speech have to use ordinal numbers, that is, first, second, third, etc. Remember the basic rule for almost all numerals: to get, for example, the ordinal number «six» need to figure six (6) add the suffix th — six th. The exceptions are a few words, and it is the first to sound like the first, the second — the second, the third — the third. By the way, do not forget about the definite article in front of the ordinal number. Now knowing the ordinal numbers in English, you can go to dates.

How to name the date in English?

As mentioned earlier, written and oral versions of the use of English dates vary. For example, the third of July, we write 3 July (3 ^{rd of July),} and recite the third of July or July the third. The second option for the twenty-fifth of September, we write 25 September (25 ^{th September),} and say the twenty-fifth of September or September the twenty-fifth. In these examples, we discussed how to call the days of a month, and how to correctly pronounce a given year? The answer is simple — every year up to 2000, we called the number on the two figures. That is, if it is 1983 — it must be said 19-83, nineteen eighty three. Our millennium will sound, as in Russian, two thousand — two thousand. A 2001 respectively, two thousand and one.

Useful words when specifying dates in English

In an effort to correct you need to designate the date or time, do not forget the words and phrases that can help you write and speak correctly. We are talking about such periods of time, as the second (second), min (minute), h (hour), day (day), Week (week), two weeks (fortnight), month (month), year (year), ten years (decade), a century or a century (century). As background information can be stored, and the English version of concepts such as BC and AD. They will be as follows: BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini). Also worth noting is that if you’re talking about any event from the past and are going to specify the exact date when it happened, do not forget that you need to use only the simple past tense Past Simple English. The presence of the date the proposal is the absolute measure of this particular time.

Here are the main points that should be aware of ordinal numbers and dates in English. Remember that the ability to call any date correctly demonstrates your proficiency in the English language!

This topic is closely related to the other as described in the articles that need to pay attention:

• «The numerals in the English language»
• «Cardinal numbers in English»
• «Ordinal numbers in English»
• «Fractional numerals in the English language»

After reading them, we recommend to pass the following test: «The test for the use of numerals in the English language.»

 

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Grammar