Days, Months & Dates
Hook
“When is your birthday?” “The meeting is on Tuesday the 5th.” “The course starts in September.” To make plans, book appointments or fill in a form, you need days, months, dates and three small words: in, on and at.
Notice
- Today is Monday. The party is on Saturday.
- My birthday is in June. It’s on the 14th of June.
- The meeting is on May 5th. (American: May fifth)
- I was born in 1998.
- I go to the gym at the weekend.
Which word do we use with months? Which with days and dates?
Rule
Days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Both always start with a capital letter.
Dates use ordinal numbers: 1st first · 2nd second · 3rd third · 4th fourth · 5th fifth · 8th eighth · 9th ninth · 12th twelfth · 20th twentieth · 21st twenty-first · 22nd twenty-second · 31st thirty-first.
Write 5 May or May 5; say the fifth of May or May the fifth.
| in | on | at |
|---|---|---|
| months, years, seasons: in June, in 2025, in summer; in the morning / afternoon / evening | days and dates: on Monday, on 5 May, on my birthday | times: at 7 o’clock; at night; at the weekend (UK) |
Watch Out
- ✗ in Monday → ✓ on Monday
- ✗ on June → ✓ in June
- ✗ monday / june → ✓ Monday / June (capital letters)
- ✗ the five of May → ✓ the fifth of May (dates use ordinal numbers)
Practice
- What day comes after Wednesday?
- What month comes after June?
- My birthday is ___ March.
- The party is ___ Saturday.
- Write in words: 3rd
- Write in words: 22nd
- I was born ___ 2001.
- Say the date 12/08 (12 August) in words.
Show the answers
- Thursday
- July
- in
- on
- third
- twenty-second
- in
- the twelfth of August
Your Turn
Write the dates of five important days for you (birthdays, holidays) as you would say them: My mother’s birthday is on the ninth of April. Then write today’s full date.
Connect
Practise spelling days and months (Wednesday, February!) in our Spelling Quiz.
Our Grammar Quiz has A1 questions on in, on and at.
CEFR A1 — Writing: I can fill in forms with personal details such as my date of birth. Spoken Interaction: I can make simple arrangements about days and times.
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