How To Put Commas In Dates In An Appropriate Way
A comma is a punctuation mark used when writing text to indicate a pause, various separate elements of a list, list homogeneous members of a sentence, etc. Such a sign denotes a comma – “,” There are many instructions on using commas when writing texts. However, teachers rarely explain how to use a comma when writing dates.
According to the education system standards, people should use date commas to divide the week from the month or year. For example – Week, January 15, 2020. Sometimes, the author needs to write a time interval in two parts or even longer. In this case, the writer must use a pause to separate them. Even if the time interval is written in numbers or words, you should use commas.
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In English, there are four types of punctuation:
- Enumeration commas: I bought flowers, pots, a shovel at the fair;
- Affixing comma: Justin is a stylish, trendy guy;
- Gapping comma: Stephen heard the coronavirus vaccine’s news but still couldn’t believe it was effective;
- Bracketing comma: similar punctuation marks are used to clarify information. For example, Mrs. Bridgertgs, Daphne’s mother, the wisest woman in town. Also, you can use this punctuation mark to separate multiple variables. However, remember that if you have written an interval of more than four digits long, you must use commas to separate the units. According to the rules, you must use this punctuation mark for every three numbers.
American students often use a simple format – divide the week from the month or year using a comma. For example – Tuesday, February 10, 1999. These are far from the only exceptions. To be educated and not make mistakes when using the comma in dates, we advise you to read the information below.
There Is Only A Month And A Year – How To Write A Date?
If your date consists of only a month and a year, you do not need to write a comma to separate them. The main thing is to build the sentence correctly.
Correct: We first visited the amusement park in August 2007.
Wrong: We first visited the amusement park in August 2007.
Have Month, Date, and Year – How Correctly to Write a Date?
If your date consists of these elements, you must put a punctuation mark after the day of the week and month. You cannot divide the month and the number – this is a gross mistake.
Correct: The day we first met my friend was May 20, 2005.
Wrong: The day we first met my friend was May, 20, 2005.
Have a Week, Date, and Year – Where to Write the Comma Correctly?
If your date consists of a week, you must write a comma between the day of the week and the date. Remember – you don’t need to put a comma after a month.
Correct: Our first hike in the mountains was on Tuesday, April 7, 2019.
Wrong: Our first hike in the mountains was on Tuesday, April 7, 2019.
Sentence Begins With Date – Where to Put the Comma?
All of the examples above are intended to show you how to write a comma if the sentence ends in dates. However, how do you write a comma in dates if the sentence starts with an interval? In such cases, the rules are similar, but there is an exception – you need to write a comma after the month and year.
Correct: September 4, 2016, marks our fifth wedding year.
Wrong: September 4, 2016, marks our fifth wedding year.
Dates In The Middle Of A Sentence – Where To Put A Comma?
You can write dates at the beginning, at the end of a sentence. However, you may find it challenging to place punctuation marks in the middle of a sentence. To correctly put a comma in the middle of a sentence, you need to understand what elements the date consists of clearly. For example, if your date is in the typical month-date-year format, remember always to write a comma after the month and year. If your proposal consists of a month and a day, then you don’t have to write a comma. Also, depending on the proposal’s content, the author can independently divide the date but adhere to the above rules.
Correct: Our trip to the sea in August 2018 was amazing.
Incorrect: Our trip to the sea in August 2018 was amazing.
Correct: Our trip to the sea on August 12, 2018, was amazing.
Incorrect: Our trip to the sea on August 12, 2018, was amazing.
Correct: After the end of the holiday on September 3, we went home.
Incorrect: After the end of the holiday on September 3, we went home.
Sentence Ends With Date – Should You Put a Comma?
The rules for commas in dates, which linguists have added and approved by the education system, are rather confusing. Therefore, many students put too many extra commas if the sentence ends with a date. You cannot divide the date at the end of a sentence – this is a gross mistake.
Correct: Our first daughter was born in November 2012.
Wrong: Our first daughter was born in November 2012.
Reversed Style – How to Write a Date?
In America, students most often use the month-date-year format. The examples above are aimed exactly at this format. Other countries use reversed style. For example, if you want to write an introductory essay for an overseas educational institution, you must understand how to use this style. The style’s very name tells us that you should first write the date and then the month and year. That is, the opposite is true. It is necessary to approach this format correctly. Otherwise, you will be misunderstood.
Date, Month, and Year – How to Write Inverted Dates?
If you are using the reversed style, you do not need to write a comma between months and years. This is unusual and difficult for typical American students.
Correct (reversed style): The date of birth of our second daughter is 15 December 2001.
Wrong (reversed style): Our second daughter’s date of birth is 15 December, 2001.
Reversed Dates and Weekdays
You can write a comma on the reserved dates if you can recalculate the days of the week further. That is, you need to divide the week from the date.
Correct (reversed style): The day I first saw my cousin was Monday, 5 March 2006.
Wrong (reversed style): The day I first saw my cousin was Monday, 5 March, 2006.
Write Correctly – This is Your Key to Success
When writing texts that contain dates, you must adhere to the rules. We also recommend practicing a lot. For any assignment, train your memory on the write of commas in dates. With a lot of practice, you will learn how to write good English texts. Good articles are those that do not contain punctuation, spelling, and lexical errors.
If you write academic articles, then using the correct punctuation can successfully support your point of view. Teachers will take your text seriously, not finding punctuation errors, and possibly you get an A+. Thanks to punctuation marks, we separate the sentence and make it more structured. Apply our tips, and you will be close to success!
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