Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about time, dates, and numbers.
Example: There are _____ days in a week. (five / seven / ten)
Answer: There are seven days in a week.
Time, Dates and Numbers in English
Knowing how to talk about time, dates and numbers is one of the most important skills in English. You use these words every day — when you make an appointment, buy something at a shop, or tell a friend when to meet you.
Imagine this situation: Your new friend Maria sends you a message: "Can we meet on Friday the 14th at half past two?" You need to understand the day, the date, and the time. This lesson will help you do exactly that!
In this lesson, you will learn:
- Numbers (1–100 and beyond)
- Days of the week and months of the year
- How to tell the time in English
- Useful expressions for talking about dates and schedules
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Numbers — Cardinal and Ordinal
There are two types of numbers in English. Cardinal numbers tell us how many things there are (one, two, three). Ordinal numbers tell us the position or order of something (first, second, third). We use ordinal numbers for dates.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| one, two, three | cardinal numbers — used for counting | I have two brothers. | Use for quantities: two apples, three books |
| four, five, six | cardinal numbers — used for counting | There are six chairs in the room. | Use for prices: five pounds, six euros |
| seven, eight, nine, ten | cardinal numbers — used for counting | My phone number ends in nine. | Use for phone numbers and addresses |
| eleven, twelve, thirteen | cardinal numbers — used for counting | She is twelve years old. | Note: 13–19 end in "-teen" |
| twenty, thirty, forty | cardinal numbers — tens | He is thirty years old. | Note: 40 = forty (not "fourty") |
| fifty, sixty, seventy | cardinal numbers — tens | The ticket costs fifty pounds. | Use for prices and ages |
| eighty, ninety, one hundred | cardinal numbers — tens and hundreds | There are one hundred students in the school. | Say "a hundred" or "one hundred" |
| first (1st) | ordinal number — the position number one | Today is the first of January. | Used for dates: the first of March |
| second (2nd) | ordinal number — the position number two | My birthday is on the second of May. | Also used for ranking: second place |
| third (3rd) | ordinal number — the position number three | We leave on the third of August. | Note: 1st, 2nd, 3rd are irregular; others add "-th" |
| fourth, fifth, sixth… (4th, 5th, 6th…) | ordinal numbers — positions four onwards | The meeting is on the fifth of October. | Most ordinals add "-th": sixth, seventh, tenth |
| twentieth (20th), thirtieth (30th) | ordinal numbers — tens positions | Her party is on the twentieth of June. | Note: twenty + -ieth = twentieth |
| twenty-first (21st), twenty-second (22nd) | ordinal numbers — combined | The event is on the twenty-first of March. | Combine tens + ordinal: twenty-first, thirty-second |
2. Days of the Week and Months of the Year
In English, all days of the week and all months of the year start with a capital letter. This is very important!
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | noun — the first day of the working week | I have an English class on Monday. | on Monday / on Mondays (every week) |
| Tuesday | noun — the second day of the working week | The dentist appointment is on Tuesday. | on Tuesday morning / Tuesday afternoon |
| Wednesday | noun — the third day of the working week | We have a meeting every Wednesday. | Note: "Wednesday" is spelled with a silent 'd' |
| Thursday | noun — the fourth day of the working week | She travels to London on Thursday. | on Thursday evening |
| Friday | noun — the fifth day of the working week | We finish work early on Friday. | Friday night is popular for going out |
| Saturday | noun — the first day of the weekend | I go shopping on Saturday. | Saturday and Sunday = the weekend |
| Sunday | noun — the last day of the weekend | My family has lunch together on Sunday. | on Sunday / every Sunday |
| January | noun — the first month of the year | My birthday is in January. | in January (use "in" with months) |
| February | noun — the second month of the year | Valentine's Day is in February. | Note: "February" has two 'r' sounds |
| March | noun — the third month of the year | Spring starts in March in the UK. | in March / early March / late March |
| April | noun — the fourth month of the year | Easter is often in April. | in April |
| May | noun — the fifth month of the year | The flowers are beautiful in May. | in May |
| June | noun — the sixth month of the year | School finishes in June. | in June / in mid-June |
| July | noun — the seventh month of the year | We go on holiday in July. | in July |
| August | noun — the eighth month of the year | It is very hot in August. | in August |
| September | noun — the ninth month of the year | School starts again in September. | in September |
| October | noun — the tenth month of the year | Halloween is on the 31st of October. | in October |
| November | noun — the eleventh month of the year | It gets cold in November. | in November |
| December | noun — the twelfth month of the year | Christmas is in December. | in December / in late December |
3. Telling the Time
When someone asks you "What time is it?" or "What time does it start?", you need to know how to say the time in English. Look at these key words and phrases:
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| o'clock | expression — used for exact hours (e.g. 3:00) | The class starts at three o'clock. | Only used for exact hours: 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock |
| half past | expression — 30 minutes after the hour | We meet at half past four. (= 4:30) | half past one, half past seven |
| quarter past | expression — 15 minutes after the hour | Lunch is at quarter past twelve. (= 12:15) | quarter past two, quarter past six |
| quarter to | expression — 15 minutes before the next hour | I wake up at quarter to seven. (= 6:45) | quarter to three, quarter to ten |
| past | preposition — used for minutes after the hour | It is ten past nine. (= 9:10) | five past, ten past, twenty past |
| to | preposition — used for minutes before the next hour | It is twenty to eight. (= 7:40) | five to, ten to, twenty to |
| morning | noun — the time from midnight to midday (12:00) | I drink coffee every morning. | in the morning / this morning / tomorrow morning |
| afternoon | noun — the time from midday to about 6 p.m. | We have a meeting in the afternoon. | in the afternoon / this afternoon |
| evening | noun — the time from about 6 p.m. to bedtime | I watch TV in the evening. | in the evening / tomorrow evening / this evening |
| night | noun — the dark hours, usually when we sleep | She works at night. | at night / last night / tonight |
| midday / noon | noun — exactly 12:00 in the afternoon | We eat lunch at midday. | at midday / at noon |
| midnight | noun — exactly 12:00 at night | The party finishes at midnight. | at midnight / before midnight / after midnight |
| a.m. | abbreviation — times from midnight to midday | My alarm rings at 7 a.m. | Used in digital/formal time: 9 a.m., 11 a.m. |
| p.m. | abbreviation — times from midday to midnight | The film starts at 8 p.m. | Used in digital/formal time: 3 p.m., 6 p.m. |
| minute | noun — 60 seconds; a unit of time | The bus arrives in five minutes. | a few minutes / thirty minutes / sixty minutes |
| hour | noun — 60 minutes; a unit of time | The journey takes one hour. | an hour / two hours / half an hour |
| week | noun — seven days | I study English three times a week. | this week / next week / last week / every week |
| month | noun — about 30 days; one of the 12 parts of a year | We go on holiday next month. | this month / next month / last month |
| year | noun — 365 days; 12 months | I started this job last year. | this year / next year / last year / every year |
| today | noun/adverb — this day, right now | Today is Monday. | today morning ❌ — say "this morning" ✅ |
| yesterday | noun/adverb — the day before today | I saw her yesterday. | yesterday morning / yesterday afternoon / yesterday evening |
| tomorrow | noun/adverb — the day after today | We have a test tomorrow. | tomorrow morning / tomorrow afternoon / tomorrow night |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
These are natural word combinations that English speakers use when talking about time, dates and numbers. Learn these as complete phrases — they will help you sound natural!
What time + is it?
"What time is it, please?" — "It's half past three."
This is the most common question for asking the time.
at + time
The meeting is at nine o'clock.
Use at with specific times of day.
on + day
I have a class on Monday.
Use on with days of the week and dates.
in + month / year / season
My birthday is in March. We visited Paris in 2022.
Use in with months, years, and seasons.
half an hour
I wait for the bus for half an hour every day. (= 30 minutes)
A very common expression for 30 minutes.
a quarter of an hour
The walk takes a quarter of an hour. (= 15 minutes)
Another useful expression for 15 minutes.
What's the date today?
"What's the date today?" — "It's the fifteenth of April."
Use this to ask about the date.
the + ordinal number + of + month
Her appointment is on the third of June.
This is the standard British English way to say a date.
How long does it take?
"How long does it take to get to the station?" — "About twenty minutes."
Use this to ask about the duration of a journey or activity.
twice a week / once a month / three times a year
I go to the gym twice a week.
These expressions say how often something happens.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
In, On, or At — Which Preposition for Time?
Choosing the correct preposition is one of the biggest challenges for beginners. Here is a simple guide:
| Preposition | Use it with… | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | Specific times, midday, midnight, night | at 3 o'clock, at midday, at midnight, at night |
| on | Days of the week, specific dates | on Monday, on the 5th of May, on Friday evening |
| in | Months, years, seasons, parts of the day | in January, in 2020, in summer, in the morning |
Morning, Afternoon, Evening, or Night?
Morning — from when you wake up until about 12:00 midday.
Afternoon — from midday (12:00) until about 6:00 p.m.
Evening — from about 6:00 p.m. until bedtime.
Night — the dark hours; the time when most people sleep.
Note: We say "at night" but "in the morning / afternoon / evening".
This, Next, and Last — With Days, Weeks, and Months
This = the current one (the one we are in now).
I have an exam this Friday.
Next = the one after the current one, in the future.
We are going on holiday next month.
Last = the one before now, in the past.
She called me last Tuesday.
Number vs. Digit
A number is the complete amount, for example: 25, 100, 1,000.
A digit is a single figure from 0–9. The number 25 has two digits: 2 and 5.
At A1 level, you will mainly use the word "number" in everyday conversation.
Common Mistakes
❌ My birthday is in the March.
✅ My birthday is in March. — Do not use "the" before months.
❌ The party is on 8 o'clock.
✅ The party is at 8 o'clock. — Use at with specific times, not on.
❌ Today is the monday.
✅ Today is Monday. — Days of the week do not need "the", and always use a capital letter.
❌ I was born in the 1998.
✅ I was born in 1998. — Do not use "the" before years.
❌ She comes on Tuesday morning every week.
✅ She comes on Tuesday mornings. — Add an 's' when talking about every Tuesday morning regularly.
❌ It is three hours and half.
✅ It is three and a half hours. — The correct word order is: number + and a half + noun.
❌ My brother has twenty-one years.
✅ My brother is twenty-one years old. — In English, use "to be" for age, not "to have".
❌ See you at the next Monday.
✅ See you next Monday. — Do not use "the" after next or last with days.
❌ today morning I had coffee.
✅ This morning I had coffee. — We never say "today morning". Use this morning.
Time, Dates and Numbers: Quick Summary & Review
Well done! Here is a quick review of the most important things you have learned in this lesson about time, dates and numbers:
- Use cardinal numbers (one, two, three…) for counting and quantities.
- Use ordinal numbers (first, second, third…) for dates and positions.
- All days of the week and months of the year start with a capital letter in English.
- Use at with times (at 5 o'clock), on with days and dates (on Monday, on the 3rd), and in with months and years (in June, in 2023).
- Say times using o'clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to.
- Use this for now, next for the future, and last for the past.
- Say ages with to be: "She is twenty-five years old." ✅
- Say "this morning / this afternoon / this evening" — never "today morning". ✅
Now practise your time, dates and numbers vocabulary in the exercises below.
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