Practice
Dates and times: say and write them clearly
Sign in to saveA friend says, 'See you at quarter to seven on the ninth of July.' To arrive at the right time, you need to understand both the clock and the date.
Say and write common dates and clock times clearly when you make plans, confirm an appointment, or share travel details.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
quarter to seven on the ninth of July /ˈkwɔːtə tə ˈsevən ɒn ðə naɪnθ əv dʒʊˈlaɪ/
The short answer
Use ordinal numbers for spoken dates, such as the ninth of July. For times, say the hour and minutes, or use past and to. In writing, spell out the month and add a.m., p.m., morning, or evening when that detail matters.
The appointment is at half past two on the sixth of June.
Why it works: Half past two gives the time, and sixth is the ordinal form for the date.
6 more examples
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Let's meet on the ninth of July at half past two.
Ninth names the date, and half past two means 2:30.
Not this:Let's meet on the ninth of July at
quarter past two. What changes: Quarter past two is 2:15, so it is fifteen minutes earlier. -
Your appointment is at 3:15 p.m. on 6 June.
P.m. makes the afternoon time clear, and the written month removes doubt about date order.
Not this:Your appointment is at
3:15 on 06/06. What changes: The numbers may be clear in one local system, but the part of the day and date format are not stated. -
The shop closes at quarter to six.
Quarter to six means 5:45, fifteen minutes before six.
Not this:The shop closes at
quarter past six. What changes: Quarter past six is 6:15, thirty minutes later. -
Please write the date as 6 June 2027.
Writing the month as a word helps an international reader understand the order.
Not this:Please write the date as
06/06/2027. What changes: This date happens to have the same day and month number, but numeric dates can be unclear when the numbers differ. -
Her flight lands at ten past eight in the evening.
Ten past eight means 8:10. In the evening shows that the flight arrives at night, not in the morning.
Not this:Her flight lands at
ten to eightin the evening. What changes: Ten to eight means 7:50, twenty minutes earlier. -
Room 204 is on the second floor.
Second is an ordinal number because it gives a position in an order.
Not this:There are
two liftsnear room 204. What changes: Two is a cardinal number because it gives an amount.
Read the full guide
First decide whether you are giving a date, a time, or both. Use an ordinal number when you say a day in a month. For a time exactly on the hour, use o'clock. For other times, you can use a digital form, such as seven twenty, or a common phrase such as twenty past seven. Add the part of the day when someone could confuse morning and evening.
Identify the detail you need to give
A date and a time do different jobs. A date tells someone which day to choose. A time tells them when to act. Give both when an appointment, journey, or event needs both details.
The parents' meeting is on 14 October at 6:00 p.m.
The date gives the day, and 6:00 p.m. gives the evening time.
What extra detail does a time need if 7:00 could mean morning or evening?
Add a.m., p.m., in the morning, or in the evening.
Say calendar dates with ordinal numbers
When you say a day in a month, use an ordinal number. Say the first of January, the third of March, or the twenty-first of November. Ordinal numbers show a position in a sequence of days.
My birthday is on the twenty-second of August.
Twenty-second names a particular day in August. It does not tell us how many birthdays there are.
Which form completes this date: the ___ of May, five or fifth?
Use fifth: the fifth of May.
Say exact hours and digital times
Use o'clock when a time is exactly on the hour. For another time, say the hour and minutes together. Seven o'clock is 7:00. Seven twenty is 7:20. You do not use o'clock after a minute number.
The class begins at nine o'clock.
Nine o'clock means 9:00 exactly.
The class ends at nine forty.
Nine forty means 9:40, so o'clock is not used.
Use past, to, quarter, and half
Past means minutes after an hour. To means minutes before the next hour. Quarter is fifteen minutes, and half is thirty minutes. These patterns are common when people arrange a meeting or listen to an announcement.
The film starts at twenty past seven.
Twenty past seven is 7:20, twenty minutes after seven.
The taxi arrives at half past eight.
Half past eight is 8:30, thirty minutes after eight.
What time is quarter to nine?
It is 8:45, fifteen minutes before nine.
Write dates and times so others understand
A numeric date can mean different things in different places. Write the month as a word when a reader may use another date order. Include the year when the date is not obvious. Add a.m. or p.m. when a time could happen twice in one day.
The interview is at 10:30 a.m. on 18 November 2027.
The time, month, date, and year are all stated, so the appointment is easy to check.
How can you make the written date 05/04 clearer for an international reader?
Write 5 April or April 5, and use the date style that suits the reader.
Before you go
Remember this
Use ordinal numbers when you say a calendar date. Use o'clock for an exact hour, and use a digital form or past and to for other times. When the listener needs precision, state the month and the part of the day.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Dates and times: say and write them clearly"
How do I say a date in English?
Use an ordinal number for the day. In British English, you can say the sixth of June. In American English, people often say June sixth. Both forms use sixth because a date names a day in the month's order.
Let's meet on the ninth of July at half past two.
When do I use o'clock?
Use o'clock for an exact hour, such as five o'clock. Do not use it after minutes. Say five twenty, not five twenty o'clock.
Let's meet on the ninth of July at quarter past two.
What do quarter past and quarter to mean?
Quarter past means fifteen minutes after the hour, so quarter past six is 6:15. Quarter to means fifteen minutes before the next hour, so quarter to six is 5:45.
Your appointment is at 3:15 p.m. on 6 June.
How can I make an appointment time clear?
State the part of the day when it matters. You can say at 8:00 a.m., at eight in the morning, at 8:00 p.m., or at eight in the evening.
Your appointment is at 3:15 on 06/06.
Why should I write the month as a word?
A numeric date such as 03/04 can be read in more than one order. Writing 3 April or April 3 shows the reader which month you mean.
The shop closes at quarter to six.