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"27" October 2008 (date format)

English translation: 27 October 2008 is fine

16:43 Nov 3, 2008
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
English term or phrase: "27" October 2008 (date format)
"27" October 2008

Is such format acceptable in English or I MUST write

October 27, 2008

?
Alexander Onishko
Selected answer:27 October 2008 is fine
Explanation:
but several other formats are also acceptable. Generally, try to keep it simple, avoiding ordinals and commas.

The guardian style guide in fact advocates a different format, which is not the one I tend to use :

dates
Our style is July 21 2008 (no commas), and has been since the first issue of the Manchester Guardian on May 5 1821 (it is occasionally alleged that putting month before date in this way is an "Americanisation").

In the 21st century but 21st-century boy; fourth century BC; AD2007, 2500BC, 10,000BC; for decades use figures: the swinging 60s or 1960s

http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/page/0,,184835,00.html
Selected response from:

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:48
Grading comment
Thank you!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +827 October 2008 is fine
Carol Gullidge
4 +127th October 2008
~Ania~


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
\"27\" october 2008 (date format)
27th October 2008


Explanation:
In my opinion, it is perfectly acceptable, but I would put 'th' after the 27, as above.

~Ania~
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:48
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  David Moore (X): Add the "th" only if the ordinal follows the month //The BBC doesn't have an awful lot of proper English speakers any more, from what I see and hear...///But if anyone did, I guarantee they'd not listen....
35 mins
  -> Thanks, David. I guess noone told the BBC ;-) http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/fromthewebteam/2008/10/... I guess noone told the Lancashire Telegraph either.. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/comment/
agree  Sheila Wilson: Day, month, year for British English, the suffix (st/nd/rd/th) is entirely optional and dying out as it's not always easy to get your word processing tool to put it as a superscript as it should really be
1 day 3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Sheila :-)
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19 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
"27" october 2008 (date format)
27 October 2008 is fine


Explanation:
but several other formats are also acceptable. Generally, try to keep it simple, avoiding ordinals and commas.

The guardian style guide in fact advocates a different format, which is not the one I tend to use :

dates
Our style is July 21 2008 (no commas), and has been since the first issue of the Manchester Guardian on May 5 1821 (it is occasionally alleged that putting month before date in this way is an "Americanisation").

In the 21st century but 21st-century boy; fourth century BC; AD2007, 2500BC, 10,000BC; for decades use figures: the swinging 60s or 1960s

http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/page/0,,184835,00.html

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:48
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 52
Grading comment
Thank you!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ioanna Daskalopoulou
4 mins
  -> thanks Ioanna!
agree  David Moore (X)
32 mins
  -> thanks David!
agree  Dana Rinaldi
40 mins
  -> thanks Dana!
agree  Peter Skipp: This is gaining ground. The formal British (gov't etc) format would be "October 27th, 2008"
42 mins
  -> thanks Peter! although I think 27th is more used in speech. I see it's used in Ania's BBC headline, but not immediately below it (presumably the non-spoken bit?)
agree  William [Bill] Gray
54 mins
  -> thanks William!
agree  Paula Mangia Garcia Terra: I agree
1 hr
  -> thanks Paula!
agree  humbird
2 hrs
  -> thanks humbird!
agree  conejo: I think it would be best to find out what the target audience is. If you know it is for a British English audience, use the British format. If it is for a US audience, by all means use the AE format. :)
5 days
  -> thanks conejo! And, definitely agree about finding out whether it's for US or UK market.
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