Writing dates is easy. You know today’s date, so write it down! However, writing a date in certain formats can be tricky. There are specific date formats for British and American English and for different requirements for text types.
So, do you know how to write a date? Find everything you need to know in our expert guide.
Why Is Writing the Date Important?
Writing the date is essential for record-keeping and staying organized. So, when making study notes, put them in order by writing the date at the top of the page. You can refer back to a specific date to locate vital information.
If you’re writing an email or “thank you” letter to your professor, a date is a reference. You and your professor know what date the letter was created and sent.
When writing an expository essay, including the date makes your work look more professional. You’ll make an instant good impression!
Additionally, if you receive a formal certificate, you’ll want the date to be included. In the future, you’ll know exactly the date you earned the certificate.
How To Write a Date in USA and British English
A significant difference when you write the date is to take notice of British and American English. The reason for the varied formats is how dates are pronounced in the UK and the US.
So, here’s how to write a date in USA and British English.
British Date Format
British English uses the day-month-year date format. So, if the date is 15th of September 2024, you would write 15/09/2024.
In conversation, British people will say, “It’s the 15th of September, 2024”. This is why the day-month-year format is typically used.
American Date Format
American English does things differently and follows the month-day-year format. So, you’d write 09/15/2024 for the 15th of September 2024.
Again, the reason for this date format is how the date is read aloud in the US. Usually, people will say, “September 15th, 2024”.
It’s important to use the correct date format so be aware if you’re writing in British or American English. Lower value numbers can easily be misinterpreted, with the day and month values getting mixed up.
How To Write a Date in a Google Doc: 4 Ways To Do That
Using Google Docs makes recording dates easy. Instead of manually inputting dates, you can insert a date or a timestamp in a couple of clicks! Here’s how to write a date in a Google Doc.
1. Adding the Date in Google Docs
Once in Google Docs, click on the page where you want to insert the date. Then, input “@today” followed by “Enter.” The date for that day will appear.
You can also add a different date. Enter “@date” and you will find a drop-down menu. You can enter today’s, tomorrow’s, or yesterday’s date. Select “Enter” and Google Docs will insert the date.
2. Write Dates With a Timestamp in Google Docs
Timestamps are super useful for some document formats. Google Docs will record the time the text was last modified. This is a tool for collaboration documents so you can record date and time information.
To add a timestamp in Google Docs, follow these steps:
- Click the page and enter “@date.”
- Select today’s date and then click Enter. You’ll now need to scroll down to the Set Time option, followed by Time Zone.
- Select the correct time, or enter the time manually if you prefer.
- Choose Ok and you’ll see a timestamp next to the date.
3. Using Keyboard Shortcuts To Create a Timestamp
When using Windows, you could create a timestamp using keyboard shortcuts.
To use this method, follow these steps:
- Press (Ctrl + 😉 for today’s date.
- Press (Ctrl + Shift + 😉 for the current time.
- Press (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + 😉 for a complete timestamp.
4. Entering a Timestamp From Google Sheets
If you’d rather copy a timestamp from Google Sheets into Google Docs, look no further! Open up a new Google Sheet and click a cell. Now, enter “=NOW()” as your necessary formula.
A timestamp will appear instantly. You can now copy and paste the timestamp into your Google Doc.
How To Write ‘Name’ and ‘Date’ for a Paper
Academic papers need particular attention when writing your name and date. Each college will have its own guidelines and requirements, so check with your professor first. However, many academic-style manuals will follow a similar structure for most formal documents.
Here’s how to write “name” and “date” for a paper, so you’ll look professional:
- Always write your name and the date on the first page.
- Use the upper left corner of the page.
- Write your name first.
- Then write your professor’s title and surname on the next line.
- Underneath, write the course title and the course number
- Insert the date (e.g. April 5, 2024).
- Beneath the date on a centered line, write the assignment title.
- Write your page numbers and your surname in the top right corner of each page.
Is Writing Dates Numerically the Usual Format?
Many documents follow an all-numeric date format. This means that only numbers will feature in a month-day-year date format. So a March date would be written 03/09/2024 whilst a December date would be 12/10/2024.
Be clear whether you’re following the American format or the British English variation. British English follows the format day-month-year. So, the 9th March 2024, is written as 03/09/2024 in American English but 09/03/2024 in British English. Mixing up American and British English can lead to misunderstandings in dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use the same date for all of my essays?
Never use the same date on your essays, unless you’ve created those essays on the same day! The date you write on your essays should be accurate, so write the day you completed the assignment.
How should I write the date on a wedding invitation?
Write the entire date in the American date format when creating a wedding invitation. A less formal invitation doesn’t have many rules when it comes to dates. But, you must make the date clear so your guest knows when the wedding is!
It’s best to write the full date correctly when inviting guests to an event so there are no mix-ups. Writing the date for highly formal invitations should still include the entire date with zero abbreviations.
How do I write decades and centuries in my sentences?
Writing decades and centuries in your content follows a series of rules. Don’t write as many variations as possible to increase your word count!
When abbreviating the 1980s as a decade, for example, you can include an apostrophe at the beginning to create the “80s.” Here, the apostrophe is used to omit the first part of the “1980s.” When referring to centuries, earlier centuries are spelled out in words, for example, “sixth century.” After the tenth century, you would replace the words with numbers, for example, the “12th century.”
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