03
Numbers & Dates
Counting, telling the time, and understanding calendars.
Visual Explanation
Telling the time / date
It is+time / date expression
Examples
It is half past nine.
My birthday is on March 15th.
There are thirty days in April.
When to Use
- Cardinal numbers
- One, two, three... Use these for counting and quantities.
- Ordinal numbers
- First, second, third... Use these for dates and order: 'the 5th of June.'
- Telling time
- 'It's nine o'clock.' 'It's half past two.' 'It's a quarter to five.'
Tip
In English, dates use ordinal numbers: say 'March fifteenth' or 'the fifteenth of March,' not 'March fifteen.'