Numbers & Dates

Numbers are everywhere in daily life -- prices, phone numbers, addresses, times, and dates. In this lesson, you will learn to count in English, tell the time, and talk about dates.

Numbers 1-20

These are the foundation. Memorize them:

Notice the pattern: 13-19 all end in "-teen." This is because they are "three-ten," "four-ten," etc. Be careful with the spelling of thirteen (not "threeteen") and fifteen (not "fiveteen").

Numbers 20-100

For numbers in between, use a hyphen:

• 21 = twenty-one
• 35 = thirty-five
• 48 = forty-eight
• 99 = ninety-nine

Common mistake: "Forty" does NOT have a "u." It is NOT "fourty."

Big Numbers

• 100 -- one hundred
• 200 -- two hundred
• 500 -- five hundred
• 1,000 -- one thousand
• 10,000 -- ten thousand
• 100,000 -- one hundred thousand
• 1,000,000 -- one million

English uses commas to separate groups of three digits: 1,000 / 10,000 / 1,000,000. English uses a period (dot) for decimals: 3.14 / 9.99.

Note: This is opposite to many European languages, which use dots for thousands and commas for decimals.

Ordinal Numbers (First, Second, Third...)

Ordinal numbers show position or order:

Pattern: Most ordinal numbers just add "-th" to the cardinal number. The exceptions are first, second, third, fifth, eighth, ninth, and twelfth.

We use ordinal numbers for:

• Dates: "March third" / "the twenty-first of June"
• Floors: "the fifth floor"
• Position: "She finished first in the race."

Telling the Time

There are two main ways to say the time:

Digital style (easier):

• 9:00 -- "It's nine o'clock."
• 9:15 -- "It's nine fifteen."
• 9:30 -- "It's nine thirty."
• 9:45 -- "It's nine forty-five."

Traditional style:

• 9:00 -- "It's nine o'clock."
• 9:15 -- "It's quarter past nine."
• 9:30 -- "It's half past nine."
• 9:45 -- "It's quarter to ten."

AM and PM:

• AM = midnight to noon (morning): 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
• PM = noon to midnight (afternoon/evening): 1:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 10:00 PM

Asking the time:

• "What time is it?"
• "Do you have the time?"
• "Could you tell me what time it is, please?" (more polite)

Days of the Week

Important: Days of the week are ALWAYS capitalized in English.

Useful phrases:

• "See you on Monday." (Use "on" with days.)
• "I work Monday to Friday."
• "What day is it today?" -- "It's Wednesday."

Months of the Year

Important: Months are ALWAYS capitalized in English.

Saying Dates

There are two common formats:

American English: Month + Day + Year

• March 15, 2026 -- "March fifteenth, twenty twenty-six"

British English: Day + Month + Year

• 15 March 2026 -- "The fifteenth of March, twenty twenty-six"

Both are understood everywhere. Just pick one style and be consistent.

Prepositions with dates:

• "On March 15th" (specific date)
• "In March" (month)
• "In 2026" (year)
• "In spring / summer / fall / winter" (season)

Numbers in Daily Life

Shopping:

• "How much is this?" -- "It's $9.99." (nine dollars and ninety-nine cents)
• "That will be $25.50, please." (twenty-five fifty)

Phone numbers: Say each digit separately:

• 555-0123 = "five five five, oh one two three"
• Use "oh" for zero in phone numbers, not "zero."

Addresses:

• "I live at 42 Oak Street." (forty-two Oak Street)

Practice Exercises

Say these out loud:

1. Your phone number
2. Your birthday (month and day)
3. Today's date
4. The current time
5. Your address

Key Takeaways

• Memorize 1-20 first, then learn the tens (20, 30, 40...).
• "Forty" has no U. This is the most common spelling mistake.
• Use ordinal numbers (first, second, third) for dates and positions.
• Days and months are always capitalized in English.
• Practice saying numbers, times, and dates out loud every day.