Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
How to write dates
English answer:
March 1-15
Added to glossary by
Jeannie Graham
Mar 4, 2003 12:58
21 yrs ago
11 viewers *
English term
How to write dates
English
Other
For example, I have to write that a store offers discounts from March 1st through March 15th. What is the proper way of writing it? Would it be wrong to write March 1-15? Please advise.
Also, is it March 1 _THROUGH_ 15, or March 1 _TO_ 15, or maybe _TILL_?
Thank you.
Also, is it March 1 _THROUGH_ 15, or March 1 _TO_ 15, or maybe _TILL_?
Thank you.
Responses
+5
2 mins
Selected
March 1-15
is fine
I think "through" is used more in US English
I think "through" is used more in US English
Peer comment(s):
neutral |
Mary Worby
: Wouldn't we be more likely to say 1-15 March in the UK? ;-)
2 mins
|
Also ok - I think both are acceptable in UK
|
|
agree |
EDLING (X)
: "through" is US English; "to" is BrEnglish
3 mins
|
agree |
Pratik Dholakia
: if you wrote "March 1st to 15th" is the better one
1 hr
|
agree |
zebung
: also agree with Pratik.
1 hr
|
agree |
Andy Watkinson
: Just to mention that US "through" is inclusive, while "to" requires defining - "to 15 inclusive".
1 hr
|
agree |
Antonio Camangi
5 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you very much for your kind help and your comments, everyone. "
+1
1 hr
Discounts will be offered from 1 - 15 March
Discounts will be offered from 1 to 15 March
Discounts will be offered from the beginning of March until / to March 15
I think any of these would be OK UK.
'through' definitely US
Discounts will be offered from the beginning of March until / to March 15
I think any of these would be OK UK.
'through' definitely US
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Nancy Arrowsmith
: I would also use from 1-15
6 mins
|
neutral |
Sam D (X)
: In UK English at least, if you spell out "from" you should also spell out "to", rather than using the dash.
9 mins
|
+4
1 hr
From 1 to 15 March
"Through" is definitely only US English. Since the terrorist attacks in the US, UK English has adopted the US order of "September 11 attacks" etc, but otherwise it's still much more common to write the number first (and, although you don't ask about this, the UK order would be DD/MM/YYYY i.e. 04.03.2003 rather than the US MM/DD/YYYY order)
HTH
HTH
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Georgios Paraskevopoulos
8 mins
|
agree |
Ino66 (X)
1 hr
|
agree |
Yelena.
2 hrs
|
agree |
J Fox
4 hrs
|
+1
2 hrs
Feeling old-fashioned UK answer
I'm beginning to feel a little old-fashioned as it seems that I'm in the minority by still using formats such as: "from 1st March to 5th March" though I'm equally happy with "from March 1st to March 5th"
If I write a date in full I use "1st March 2003" or "March 1st, 2003" probably with equal frequency (though I baffled as to why I need the comma in the latter case).
Overall I think that it's safe to say that in the UK the writing of dates is undergoing change away from this answer, creating a state of flux in which almost anything is possible as long as our preference for "to" over "through" is respected.
If I write a date in full I use "1st March 2003" or "March 1st, 2003" probably with equal frequency (though I baffled as to why I need the comma in the latter case).
Overall I think that it's safe to say that in the UK the writing of dates is undergoing change away from this answer, creating a state of flux in which almost anything is possible as long as our preference for "to" over "through" is respected.
Peer comment(s):
agree |
Kay Fisher (X)
: There is definately a change towards 1 March over 1st of March though... (bugs me too)
15 hrs
|
4 days
The first 15 days of March
is a different way of expressing it, if, as I understand it, both 1st March and 15th March are inclusive.
HTH
HTH
Discussion