Writing dates and ordinal numbers – English 1AC
Learn to write dates clearly and use ordinal numbers for the day of the month. This lesson follows British date order.
1. Cardinal and ordinal numbers
Cardinal numbers count: one, two, three. Ordinal numbers show position: first, second, third. A date normally uses an ordinal when spoken: the first of May.
2. Choose the correct ending
Write 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. The special forms 11th, 12th and 13th use th. Then write 21st, 22nd and 23rd. Learn the spelling fifth, eighth, ninth, twelfth and twentieth.
3. Avoid ambiguous dates
Write 5 June 2026 when clarity matters. The number-only date 05/06/2026 may be understood differently in different countries. Capitalise month names. In British English, say the fifth of June; a written date may use 5 without th.
Summary diagram
Worked example
Written: 21 March 2026. Spoken: the twenty-first of March, twenty twenty-six. The day comes before the month in this British-style example.
6 exercises with answers
Try the exercise before opening the answer.
Exercise 1
Write 2 as an ordinal.
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second, or 2nd.
Exercise 2
Choose: 12nd or 12th.
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12th: the numbers 11, 12 and 13 use th.
Exercise 3
Write 23 as an ordinal.
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twenty-third, or 23rd.
Exercise 4
Correct: 5 june 2026.
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5 June 2026. Month names start with a capital letter.
Exercise 5
Say 1 April.
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The first of April.
Exercise 6
Why is 7 August clearer than 07/08?
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The month name prevents confusion between day-first and month-first systems.