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Writing Numbers, Dates & Times

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A1 (Beginner)Writing

Writing Numbers, Dates & Times

Writing numbers, dates, and times correctly is one of the most useful A1 skills. You need it for forms, messages, appointments, prices, and telling people about yourself. This lesson shows the correct written forms.

Writing numbers, dates, and times correctly is one of the most useful A1 skills. You need it for forms, messages, appointments, prices, and telling people about yourself. This lesson shows the correct written forms.

1. Cardinal numbers (counting)

Figure Word
1, 2, 3 one, two, three
13, 14, 15 thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
20, 30, 40 twenty, thirty, forty
21, 35 twenty-one, thirty-five (use a hyphen)
100, 1000 one hundred, one thousand
Careful: -teen vs -ty13 = thirteen, but 30 = thirty. And note the spelling of forty (no “u”) even though it is “four.”

2. Ordinal numbers (order / dates)

Ordinals show position. We use them for dates.

Number Ordinal
1st first
2nd second
3rd third
4th, 5th fourth, fifth
21st, 22nd twenty-first, twenty-second

3. Writing dates

Capitalize the month. A comma goes before the year.

  • March 5, 2025  ·  the 5th of March  ·  5 March 2025
  • Days and months are always capital: Monday, January.

4. Writing times and prices

Type Written form
Time 7:30  ·  half past seven  ·  9 a.m. / 9 p.m.
Price RM 50  ·  $12.99  ·  fifty ringgit
Phone write digits in small groups: 012-345 6789
Tutor tip for Arabic speakersArabic and English both write the digits left to right (2025 is the same order), so numbers are easier than you think. Two things to watch: (1) English uses a comma for thousands (1,000) and a dot for decimals/prices ($12.99) — this is the opposite of some countries. (2) The date order differs by country: “5/3” means 5 March in the UK but 3 May in the US — to be safe, write the month as a word.

Examples from EduCareer

  • Aisha’s class starts at 9 a.m. on Monday.
  • Omar was born on March 5, 2001.
  • The book costs RM 25 — twenty-five ringgit.
Common mistakes

I am thirty (meaning 13).  →  I am thirteen.

My birthday is 5 march.  →  My birthday is 5 March.

It is fourty ringgit.  →  It is forty ringgit.

twenty one  →  twenty-one

Check your understanding

Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.

1.How do you write 13 in words?
13 = thirteen (-teen). 30 = thirty.
2.How do you write 40 in words?
40 = forty (no "u").
3.How do you write 21?
Compound numbers use a hyphen: twenty-one.
4.Which is the ordinal for 3?
3rd = third.
5.Which is the ordinal for 5?
5th = fifth.
6.Which date is written correctly?
Capital month; comma before the year.
7.Which is correct for a price?
English uses a dot for decimals: $12.99.
8.How is 1,000 written in English?
English uses a comma for thousands: 1,000.
9.Which time form is correct?
7:30 uses a colon.
10."I am ___ years old" (age 30).
30 = thirty.
11.Which ordinal is correct for 2?
2nd = second.
12.How do you write 100 in words?
100 = one hundred.
13.Which is written correctly?
Months are always capitalized: March.
14.Which is the ordinal for 21?
21st = twenty-first.
15.9 in the morning is written:
Morning = a.m.
16.Which is correct?
15 = fifteen.
17.Which phone number format is clearest?
Group the digits for readability: 012-345 6789.
18.Choose the correct sentence.
a.m. plus a capital day (Monday) and a capital start.
19.Which is the correct word for 14?
14 = fourteen.
20.Which sentence is correct?
"forty" spelling; "ringgit" stays singular as a currency here.

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