John’s English Blog

This is the twelfth in a series of blog posts about articles. I recommend you read the previous blog posts in this series before you read this one. In the previous article we looked at using articles with both, all, kind of, sort of, type of, binomials and possessives. In this blog post we’ll look at dates, days, months, seasons, quantity, amount, number, volume and measurements.

dates

There are several ways to write dates in English and we don’t say dates the way we write them.

Neil Armstrong landed on the moon 20 July 1969.
This is the most common way to write a date in British English.
Neil Armstrong landed on the moon on the twentieth of July 1969.

Sometimes you will see dates written in different ways.

Neil Armstrong landed on the moon 20 July, 1969.
With an extra comma.
Neil Armstrong landed on the moon 20th July, 1969.
With the last two letters of the number.
Neil Armstrong landed on the moon on the twentieth of July 1969.

Americans write and say dates differently.

Neil Armstrong landed on the moon July 20, 1969.
Neil Armstrong landed on the moon July twentieth 1969.

Sometimes Americans write dates the British way, but still say them differently.

Neil Armstrong landed on the moon 20 July 20 1969.
Neil Armstrong landed on the moon twenty July 1969.

kings and queens

We don’t say the names of monarchs the way we write them.

Henry VIII introduced a tax on beards. Really, it’s true! Henry the eighth introduced a tax on beards.
Elizabeth I was fluent in French, Italian and Latin. She also spoke Spanish, Welsh, Irish, Flemish, Greek and Cornish.
Elizabeth the first was fluent in French, Italian and Latin. She also spoke Spanish, Welsh, Irish, Flemish, Greek and Cornish.

quarters and halves

Sales were up in Q1.
Sales were up in the first quarter.
Sales were up in Q one.
The letter Q is pronounced /kjuː/

Do you have the forecast for Q2?
Do you have the forecast for the second quarter?
Do you have the forecast for Q two?

We predict an increase in turnover in H1 of 2%.
We predict an increase in turnover in the first half of 2%.
We predict an increase in turnover in ache one of 2%.
We pronounce the letter H /eɪtʃ/

days, months, seasons

We often leave out the when talking about the day, month, season etc before or after the current one.
But we use the with morning, afternoon, evening, night except after by.

• Are you coming to the cinema on Monday?
• Are you coming to the cinema this Tuesday?
• Are you coming to the cinema next Wednesday?
• Are you coming to the cinema the Thursday after next?
• Do you remember the day we met?
• I’m starting my new job next week.
• What did you do last weekend?
• Where were you the weekend before last?
• Last summer I didn’t go on holiday.
• The February after next I’m going skiing in the Alps.
• The exam is on the last Monday in June.
• Last Sunday I went to the beach and the next day I went again.
• Next month should be very busy, because the holidays will be over.
• No, we’re not coming in July. We’re coming the next month.
• No, we’re not coming in July. Were coming the previous month.
• If I get up very late on Sunday I eat breakfast in the afternoon.
• I always get more work done in the morning.
• The night can be scary.
• They often go out in the evening.
• She liked the park during the day.
• Owls hunt by night.
• Do you dream at night?
  We usually say at night rather than by night.
• We’ll be there by morning.

quantity, amount, number, volume etc

We often leave out the after quantity of, amount of, number of and volume of. We don’t leave out the after total of, value of, sum of etc.

• Have you seen the amount of rubbish they left after the party?
• Rinse your hands with a copious quantity of water.
• The maximum number of passengers allowed is 56.
• The volume of sales is the number of items sold in a particular period. Plural noun.
• The volume of the bottle is 1 litre.
  Singular noun.
• Sales revenue is the value of the items sold.
• The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
• The total of the debit amounts must be equal to the total of the credit amounts.
• The total of 1, 2 and 3 is 6.

measurements

When we talk about quantities we often use the after the preposition by.

1. In the United Kingdom beer is sold by the pint.
2. Lawyers charge by the hour.
3. We sell sugar by the kilo.
4. I pay for my internet connection by the month.

We we talk about rates we use a/an.

1. The speed limit is 70 miles an hour.
2. Milk costs 50 pence a litre.
3. I swim three times a week.
4. Take one tablet twice a day.

quiz

Back to the article

1. Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up parliament on the fifth of November 1605.
2. Cloth used to be sold by a yard.
3. Turnover was down in the first half.
4. The quantity of flour will vary slightly with every batch.
5. The figures for Q four look good.
6. What is the value of the furniture?
7. Do you have plans for Friday in the evening?
8. You should change your bedding once a week.
9. You can rent a bicycle by a day.
10. What do you do in the morning?
11. Saturday I went to the park and the next day I went to the beach.
12. Do you have the numbers for H1?
13. next year I want to go surfing.
14. The total of the invoice was more than I expected.
15. We expect to complete the project in the fourth quarter this year.
16. The summer holiday starts the first week of July.
17. Do you have plans for Friday evening?
18. This week I have to work hard, because last week I was lazy.
19. I can’t come this week, but I can come next week.
20. last week was busy, because the week before I was lazy.
21. We need to close more sales in Q3.
22. The Magna Carta was agreed on 15 June 1215.
23. Charles I believed in the divine right of kings.
24. I’m optimistic about H one next year.
25. I pay for mobile internet by a gigabyte.
26. Calculate the sum of the sequence using the formula.
27. He’s tied up today, but he’s free next Monday.
28. Do you have any idea of the amount of paint we need?
29. Christmas falls on the the last Tuesday in December this year.
30. The total of 6 and 7 is the 13.
31. the day I went to University I could carry everything I owned.
32. It’s cheaper to do laundry at night, but I do it in the day.
33. The room costs ̈£50 a night.
34. The number of visitors increases in the summer.
35. The average wind speed velocity of a European unladen swallow is about 24 miles an hour.
36. The shop couldn’t cope with the volume of business.
37. Did Richard thethird murder his nephews?

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