Numbers, Dates and Time
Learn to tell time, read dates, and count numbers accurately in English.
📖 Lesson
Numbers, Dates and Time
Understanding numbers, dates, and time is essential for everyday communication in English. Whether you're scheduling appointments, reading a calendar, or telling someone when something happened, these skills are fundamental.
Cardinal Numbers (0-20)
Cardinal numbers are used for counting. Here are the basic numbers:
| Number | English | Number | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | 11 | eleven |
| 1 | one | 12 | twelve |
| 2 | two | 13 | thirteen |
| 3 | three | 14 | fourteen |
| 4 | four | 15 | fifteen |
| 5 | five | 16 | sixteen |
| 6 | six | 17 | seventeen |
| 7 | seven | 18 | eighteen |
| 8 | eight | 19 | nineteen |
| 9 | nine | 20 | twenty |
| 10 | ten |
Examples in sentences:
- I have five apples.
- She is eighteen years old.
- There are twelve months in a year.
Larger Numbers
For numbers above 20, we use patterns:
- 21 = twenty-one
- 35 = thirty-five
- 100 = one hundred
- 1,000 = one thousand
- 1,000,000 = one million
Examples:
- The book costs twenty-five dollars.
- The city has three million people.
- I need ninety-nine cents.
Days of the Week
The seven days of the week are:
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Examples:
- I work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
- My birthday is on Friday.
- We go to the market on Saturday.
Months of the Year
There are twelve months:
| Number | Month | Number | Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January | 7 | July |
| 2 | February | 8 | August |
| 3 | March | 9 | September |
| 4 | April | 10 | October |
| 5 | May | 11 | November |
| 6 | June | 12 | December |
Examples:
- Christmas is in December.
- Summer vacation starts in July.
- New Year's Day is in January.
Writing Dates
In English-speaking countries, dates can be written in different ways:
- British format: 14 March 2024 or 14/03/2024
- American format: March 14, 2024 or 03/14/2024
- Spoken: "the fourteenth of March" or "March the fourteenth"
Examples:
- My graduation is 5 June 2024.
- The appointment is on 12/25/2024 (December 25, 2024).
- She was born on 31 October 1995.
Telling the Time
When telling time, we use:
- O'clock (exactly on the hour): It is three o'clock.
- Quarter past (15 minutes after): It is quarter past two.
- Half past (30 minutes after): It is half past four.
- Quarter to (15 minutes before): It is quarter to five.
- Minutes past: It is ten past seven.
- Minutes to: It is five to nine.
| Time | American English | British English |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | three o'clock | three o'clock |
| 3:15 | three fifteen | quarter past three |
| 3:30 | three thirty | half past three |
| 3:45 | three forty-five | quarter to four |
| 3:20 | three twenty | twenty past three |
Examples:
- The class starts at nine o'clock.
- Let's meet at half past one.
- The train leaves at quarter to six.
- It's twenty past ten now.
Common Mistakes
❌ Mistake 1: Saying "three and a half" instead of "three thirty"
✅ Correct: "It is three thirty" or "It is half past three."
❌ Mistake 2: Using "and" with numbers above 20 in American English
✅ Correct: Twenty-five (not "twenty and five")
❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting "o'clock" when telling time
✅ Correct: "It is five o'clock" (not just "It is five")
❌ Mistake 4: Mixing up date formats
✅ Remember: British: day/month/year | American: month/day/year
Practice Tips
- Repetition: Say numbers aloud daily to build confidence.
- Real-world practice: Set reminders for different times and say them in English.
- Write dates: Practice writing today's date in both formats.
- Clock practice: Look at a clock every hour and say the time in English.
- Calendar study: Point to random dates and say them aloud.
- Listen to English speakers: Notice how natives pronounce numbers and times in videos or podcasts.
🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip
6 words✏️ Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word to complete each sentence.