{"id":2420,"date":"2017-04-19T08:54:51","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T14:54:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/?p=2420"},"modified":"2021-11-17T16:10:58","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T22:10:58","slug":"writing-dates-and-times-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/apostrophes\/writing-dates-and-times-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Dates and Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rule:<\/strong> The following examples apply when using dates:<\/p>\n

The meeting is scheduled for June 30<\/span><\/span>.<\/em>
\nThe meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June<\/span><\/span>.<\/em>
\nWe have had tricks played on us on April 1.<\/em>
\nThe 1st of April puts some people on edge.<\/em> (Some prefer to write it out: The first of April<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Rule:<\/strong> There are differing policies for expressing decades using numerals. Some write the 1980s<\/em> and the ’80s<\/em>, others write the 1980’s<\/em> and the 80’s<\/em>. However, using two apostrophes (the ’80’s<\/em>) is awkward and is not recommended.<\/p>\n

Correct:<\/strong>
\nDuring the ’80s, the world’s economy grew.<\/em>
\nDuring the 1980s, the world’s economy grew.<\/em>
\nDuring the 1980’s, the world’s economy grew.<\/em><\/p>\n

Not Advised:<\/strong>
\nDuring the ’80’s, the world’s economy grew.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rule:<\/strong> Some writers spell out the time of day, others prefer numbers.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> She gets up at four thirty before the baby wakes up.<\/em>
\nExample:<\/strong> The baby wakes up at 5 o’clock in the morning.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rule:<\/strong> Some use numerals with the time of day when exact times are being emphasized.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Her flight leaves at 6:22 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\nExample:<\/strong> Please arrive by 12:30 p.m.<\/span><\/span> sharp.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rule:<\/strong> It is clearer to use noon <\/em>and midnight <\/em>rather than 12:00 p.m.<\/span><\/span><\/em> or 12:00 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> You may use AM<\/em> and PM<\/em>, A.M.<\/em> and P.M.<\/em>, am<\/em> and pm<\/em>, or a.m.<\/em> and p.m.<\/em>
\nSome put a space after the numeral, others do not.<\/p>\n

Example:<\/strong> Her flight leaves at 6:22 a.m.<\/span><\/span><\/em>
\nExample:<\/strong> Her flight leaves at 6:22am<\/span><\/span>.<\/em>
\nExample:<\/strong> Please arrive by 12:30 P.M.<\/span><\/span> sharp.<\/em><\/p>\n

Rule: <\/strong>As you will see in the following examples, there are a number of options for expressing date and time ranges. Take care to express the ranges clearly, and be consistent.<\/p>\n

Example <\/strong>(using an en dash in accordance with The Chicago Manual of Style<\/em>. The en dash indicates up to and including<\/em>, or through<\/em>):
\nThe fair will take place August 31\u2013September 5<\/span><\/span>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Example <\/strong>(using a hyphen in accordance with The Associated Press Stylebook)<\/em>: <\/strong>
\nThe fair will take place August 31-September 5<\/span><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Example <\/strong>(reasonably clear):<\/strong> The fair will take place from August 31 to September 5<\/span><\/span>. <\/em>Most people would interpret that the fair will begin on August 31<\/span><\/span> and extend to and including September 5<\/span><\/span>. However, consider this sentence:<\/p>\n

We will be visiting from August 31 to September 5<\/span><\/span>. <\/em>
\nAre the visitors departing on September 5<\/span><\/span> or staying through September 5<\/span><\/span>?<\/p>\n

Example <\/strong>(clear):<\/strong> We will be visiting from August 31 through September 5<\/span><\/span>. <\/em><\/p>\n

Note: <\/strong>Do not use a hyphen or en dash when from<\/em> or\u00a0between<\/em> is used before the first date or time.<\/p>\n

Incorrect example:<\/strong> We will be visiting on August 31, 2017<\/span><\/span>, from 2:00 p.m.\u20134:00 p.m.<\/span><\/span> <\/em><\/p>\n

Examples <\/strong>(exact beginning and end dates not important):<\/strong>
\nThe Straus family lived in the neighborhood from 1949 to 2012. <\/em>(from <\/em>followed by to<\/em>)
\nThe Straus family lived in the neighborhood between 1949 and 2012. <\/em>(between <\/em>followed by and<\/em>)<\/p>\n

Example <\/strong>(with exact dates):
\n<\/strong>The Straus family lived in the neighborhood from January 1, 1949, to October 18, 2012.
\nOn the fourth day of June, 2021, we will begin building the sandbox for the kids.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pop Quiz:<\/strong><\/span>
\nCorrect or Incorrect?<\/p>\n

1. The last outbreak of smallpox occurred in the late seventy\u2019s.
\n2. Can you get here by 12:00 midnight<\/span><\/span>?
\n3. Please deliver the package by August 1st<\/span><\/span>.
\n4. Her flight leaves at 5:00 a.m.<\/span><\/span> in the morning.
\n5. The market is open from 9 am to 9 p.m.<\/span><\/span>
\n6. Traffic will be detoured on Saturday, April 22<\/span><\/span>, from 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pop Quiz Answers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. The last outbreak of smallpox occurred in the late seventies.
\n2. Can you get here by midnight<\/span><\/span>? (leave out 12:00<\/span><\/span>)
\n3. Please deliver the package by August 1<\/span><\/span>. (OR<\/strong> by the first of August OR<\/strong> by the 1st of August<\/span><\/span>)
\n4. \u201c5:00 a.m.<\/span><\/span> in the morning\u201d is redundant. Leave out one or the other:
\nHer flight leaves at 5:00 a.m.<\/span><\/span> OR<\/strong> Her flight leaves at 5:00<\/span><\/span> in the morning.
\n5. The market is open from 9 am to 9 pm<\/span><\/span>. OR<\/strong> 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
\n6. Traffic will be detoured on Saturday, April 22<\/span><\/span>, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>OR <\/strong>between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.<\/span><\/span> OR <\/strong>Traffic will be detoured on Saturday, April 22, 1:00 p.m.\u20134:00 p.m.<\/span><\/span> OR <\/strong>1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.<\/span><\/span> OR <\/strong>use pm, PM, or P.M.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
Are you ready for the quiz?<\/h6>\n

Writing Dates and Times Quiz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rule: The following examples apply when using dates: The meeting is scheduled for June 30. The meeting is scheduled for the 30th of June. We have had tricks played on us on April 1. The 1st of April puts some people on edge. (Some prefer to write it out: The first of April) Rule: There […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,16,21,38,36,35,19,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abbreviations","category-apostrophes","category-capitalization","category-dashes","category-dates-and-times","category-hyphens","category-numbers","category-spacing"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2420"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5637,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2420\/revisions\/5637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}