Questions relating to the English Language usage when referring to dates
21
votes
5answers
10k views
What is the best format to use when writing out dates?
What format of date is appropriate for different contexts (business, personal) in written English, nowadays?
1st of April, 2010
April the 1st, 2010
April 1, 2010
April 01, 2010
another one
5
votes
4answers
6k views
Does “notified by [date]” include the end date?
I have read the Rules of a competition. The text of the Rules include a sentence as follows:
As per stated in the Rules the entrants will be notified by May 30th 2010.
Does the sentence above ...
39
votes
9answers
3k views
Why, in old books, are dates often given with the years redacted?
silly question, and I'm not sure this is even necessarily the right forum, but it's the most appropriate on StackExchange, so here we are.
Why is it, in older books, that years are sometimes redacted ...
11
votes
5answers
3k views
What are the rules for pronunciation of years in English?
We pronounce 1923 as nineteen twenty-three; but 1900 as nineteen hundred. Why isn't year 2000 pronounced as twenty hundred instead of two thousand?
What are the rules for pronunciation of years in ...
0
votes
1answer
502 views
Is “in [some period]” different from “within [some period]”?
Q1: "I'll finish this job within 5 days" definitely means the job is expected to cost 5 days or less. However, does "I'll finish this job in 5 days" mean exactly the same?
Q2: Can we say, "I'll ...
5
votes
7answers
3k views
Does “nineteen-hundreds” refer to 1900–1909 or 1900–1999?
The words "nineteen-hundreds" to me mean strictly 1900–1909. I've noticed several times that people, invariably North American, use these words to mean "the twentieth century", or 1900–1999, or ...
2
votes
5answers
2k views
Does “until [date]” mean “before that date”?
What does until mean in the following?
You need to deliver this product within 2 days (until August 18, 2011)
to meet your deadline and get paid.
Does this mean that I have to deliver the ...
1
vote
2answers
705 views
How to write out dates correctly
I have a document dated 05/05/2012.
What should I say?
Based on the document from 05 May.
Based on the document from 5th May.
Based on the document from 05 of May.
12
votes
4answers
11k views
How should “midnight on…” be interpreted?
From what I understand, the word "midnight" is usually interpreted incorrectly.
Midnight is written as "12am" which would imply that it's in the morning. Therefore, it should be at the start of the ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
How to write date range succinctly and unambiguously in American written English?
How to write date range succinctly and unambiguously in American written English?
In a sentence I usually use "from January 1, 1923 through December 31, 1986". But it is too long for use in section ...
4
votes
4answers
9k views
Does the term “within 7 days” mean include the 7th day? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “in [some period]” different from “within [some period]”?
The title states it all: When an author says "within 7 days", does the author mean ...
3
votes
2answers
6k views
Date format in UK vs US
Why is the most common date format in the US like mm/dd/yyyy, whereas in Europe (including the UK) it's more common to have dd/mm/yyyy?
Looking around, I found that the US form is actually the more ...
2
votes
5answers
431 views
What does “by spring 2013” imply? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Does “notified by [date]” include the end date?
“I will do it by Monday”. Does it mean before the beginning or before the end of Monday?
If something has to be ...
34
votes
2answers
2k views
Is there a term to describe an event which happens every 18 months?
Obviously every year is annual. Every two years is biennial. Does the English language have a term for every 18 months?
6
votes
3answers
3k views
What's the difference between “day” and “date”?
Day may refer to:
the day of the week (e.g., Monday, Tuesday);
the day of the month (e.g, 2nd day of February);
a unit of time (e.g., this task would take 2 days to complete).
A date on the other ...
5
votes
2answers
6k views
How to write “till now” in a résumé? [closed]
I am writing a résumé. I want to specify that I started my education in 2009 and as of now I am at the 4th grade (in other words, still learning), so how should I specify that in résumé:
2009 - ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How to write the date of an event that lasts a few days
What is the correct way to write, in American English, that something will happen over a date range?
The event will take place through July 1-10, 2011?
The event will take place from July 1 to July ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
Do you need to use “on” or “upon” when referring to dates?
When defining a date, should I use on, upon or when, or can I leave these words out?
For example, can I say:
The date the company allots the securities is known as the Despatch Date.
or should ...
2
votes
6answers
538 views
Since, until / From, to on invoices or form date ranges
Which is the correct form on an invoice, or a general date range in a form, and why?
Monkey dolls 12 GBP
From 2012-01-03 to 2013-01-02
Monkey dolls 12 ...
2
votes
0answers
86 views
Is “do something by date X” inclusive? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Does “notified by [date]” include the end date?
For example, if John says:
Return it to me by March 24th.
Does it mean that I need to return it to ...
1
vote
1answer
7k views
Is there a one-word English term for the day after tomorrow? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How obsolete is the word “overmorrow”?
Is there a one-word English term for the day after tomorrow? Perhaps a term that has fallen out of modern English ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Is on/before 15 July better than by 15 July if I want to be precise and unambiguous? Which is the more common form?
When the last day of registration is, let's say, 15 July, we currently say "please confirm your registration before 16 July" but students often send their confirmation on 16 July, rather than 15. I ...
0
votes
3answers
5k views
“I will do it by Monday”. Does it mean before the beginning or before the end of Monday? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Does “notified by [date]” include the end date?
When someone says "I will do it by Monday", does it mean that they will get it done
before the beginning of ...
0
votes
3answers
178 views
Date formats for Americans [closed]
Do Americans find a date such as 11 Apr 2012 more readable than the ISO format 2012-04-11? The reason I ask is that there are many situations where we do not have access to the locale, and even if we ...
-1
votes
1answer
211 views
What's the correct way to format a date range, time range, and days of week in a single line?
I'd like to write the date and time for an event that runs for one week. Currently I have:
June 3-7, 2013, 8:30am-5:30pm; Monday-Friday
Is this stylistically acceptable? Is there a better way?
...
