How do you write the date in English?

It’s one of the first things you learned when you started studying English, and it seemed simple at the time, but…

Even advanced students from the Faster Fluency Conversation Club ask me about writing (or saying) the date in English.

That’s because, in the real world, Business English is an international language.  And there’s more than one correct way to say and write the date.

But there’s no reason to sit at your computer, wondering and worrying if your date is correct.  Just continue reading to learn the two ways of writing the date in English.

And then use my simple trick for writing dates in English without confusion–no matter who you’re doing business with.

Index:

1. How to write the date in English: (Hint, there are two ways!)

2. How to write the date in American and Canadian English:

3. How to write the date in British and International English:

4. How to avoid confusion when writing the date in English?

1. How to write the date in English: (Hint, there are two ways!)

Imagine you’re looking at an email with an important date on it.  You’ve got a meeting on:
1/12/2021

Is it January 12th, 2021?

Or is it 1st of December 2021?

The answer is… are you ready?

BOTH! Whaaat?

Let me clarify.

Also check out my lesson: 9 Words You Need to Understand in a Meeting in English.

2.  How to write the date in American and Canadian English:

In American & Canadian English, we write dates like this:
Month / Day / Year

So 1/12/2021 is January 12th, 2021.

And notice how the date is written: 12th.

If you say this date out loud you’ll say:

“January twelfth, twenty twenty-one.”

That’s the most common way we say it in American English: Month / Day / Year.

So if you’re working with American or Canadian clients? Keep this way of saying the date in mind, so you can all show up at the right time.

3. How to write the date in British and International English:

If you are working with British colleagues (or most of the world) you will often see the date written like this:

1/12/2021

Can you guess what date that is?

If you guessed the 1st of December 2021, you’re right!

Most of the world sees this date as the 1st of December, in fact.

So if you’re dealing with international clients or clients from the UK, you’ll want to remember this way of saying the date:

Day / Month / Year.

And you’ll be able to schedule all the appointments, events and deadlines you want.

4.  How to avoid confusion when writing the date in English?

What if you’re not sure how the person on the other end of your conversation (or email) will understand the date you’re suggesting?

After all, who wants to guess about getting the date right for an important client or business meeting?

Luckily, there’s a simple trick for taking all the guesswork (and room for confusion) out of your dates in English.  It’s simple, just use either of these formats:

1 December 2021
December 1, 2021

Both are correct, so you can use either one and feel confident that you look your best.

And there is no room for mistakes or confusion.

Now you can stop worrying about dates in English and start focusing on all the new and exciting things you like to accomplish.

How does it feel to be one step further toward confidence in your Business English?

Take the next step: Improve your English in the comments

The best way to become more confident using Business English is to practice!
Here’s your weekly challenge for this week:

In the comments, imagine you are scheduling an important meeting in English. Tell your client, colleague, or future boss, the date.
Don’t forget to use a format where there’s no room for confusion.

And please share this article with your coworkers & friends. You can send your message to them in English for more practice!

Become more fluent & comfortable in conversations
If you would like to take the next step with me, discover my Faster Fluency Conversation Club Membership Program!

It helps you become more confident speaking in conversations, and get a lot more vocabulary on many different topics! And it’s a fabulous community of “English buddies” from around the world!

More details at https://christinarebuffetcourses.com/faster-fluency-conversation-club/join-now

Can’t wait to see you in the Club,
Christina

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