Ch 2 · Lesson 19English · Chapter 2 · Lesson 19 · Grammar primer
On Monday, in May: capitals, small words and dates
Capital letters for Monday and May, not for summer. On a day, in a month or season, nothing before tomorrow, and the date: the third of May.
The short version
On Monday, in May, in summer
. .
Why?Hide
Choose the small word by the size of the time. A day or a date is small, so on: on Monday, on 3 May. A month, a season or a year is big, so in: in May, in summer, in 2026. Today, tomorrow and yesterday need no small word at all.
Capitals for days and months, not seasons
Tom . .
Why?Hide
Days and months always start with a capital letter: Monday, May. Seasons do not: summer, winter. A season takes a capital only at the start of a sentence. For dates, write a number but say an order word: 3 May is the third of May.
Capital letters: Monday and May, but summer
Days and months always start with a capital letter. Seasons do not.
| Type | Right | Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| ||
| ||
|
.(capital M)Tom .(capital J).(small w)
A season takes a capital letter only at the start of a sentence: Summer is my favourite season. (first word, so a capital S).
On, in and at: on Monday, in May, in summer
Use a small word before the time. Look at the size of the time: a day is small, so on; a month, season or year is big, so in.
| Word | Use with | Example |
|---|---|---|
. | ||
. | ||
. | ||
Ana 2020. | ||
| (UK) | . |
At the weekend is British English. In American English, people say on the weekend (the same two days).
Some time words need no small word at all:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Today is Monday. | ||
| See you tomorrow. | ||
| I was at home yesterday. |
The same is true for next and last: See you next Monday. (usually the coming Monday; some people mean the Monday after, so check) I saw him last May. (the most recent May).
Dates: the third of May
We write a number, but we say an order word: first, second, third.
| Write | Say | Write | Say |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4th | ||
| 2nd | 5th | ||
| 3rd | 21st | - |
The full list, with the spellings that catch everyone (fifth, twelfth), is on the ordinal numbers page.
In the UK, write the day first: 3 May or 3rd May. Say it like this:
- the third of May (the usual way)
- May the third (also fine)
In the US, people write May 3 and say May third. So 3/5 is 3 May in the UK, but March 5 in the US: write the month as a word when it matters. For the year, see years in English.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| in Monday | on Monday | . |
| on May | in May | . |
| on summer | in summer | . |
| in june | in June | . |
| in the Summer | in the summer | . |
| the three of May | the third of May | . |
| on tomorrow | tomorrow | . |
The first two are the big ones. A day is small, so on. A month is big, so in.
Going further: The seven days of the week and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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8-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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Lesson 19 of 37 in this chapter