Should the date come before the day of the week?

[optimistic pessimist]

When you ask the day of the week and date in one question, which word order sounds natural?

A What is today's date and day of the week?
B What is today's day of the week and date?

 

[Tarheel]

The first one is OK. Of course, there would never be a reason to ask that question. These days everybody has one of these devices I am holding in my hand. Plus you wouldn't want anybody think you're so out of it that you have to ask that question.

 

[tedmc]

What day (of the week) and date is it today?

 

[optimistic pessimist]

The first one is OK. Of course, there would never be a reason to ask that question. These days everybody has one of these devices I am holding in my hand. Plus you wouldn't want anybody think you're so out of it that you have to ask that question.

I teach English to elementary school kids.

 

[jutfrank]

I teach English to elementary school kids.

Why would you ask what day of the week it is? As Tarheel says, it would make you look rather out of it, don't you agree? Or do you perhaps mean that you want to ask your kids this question, purely as a way of checking comprehension?

When we're unsure which day of the week it is, we normally ask: What day is it (today)?

 

[Tarheel]

Well, age does make a difference. With a small child you might say, "What day is it?" Then if the response is, for example, "Friday" you might say, "That was yesterday. Today is Saturday, and tomorrow is Sunday."