14 April. The use of ''on''

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.


On is always used in speech but can it be omitted in writing?

For example, ''She arrived 14 December''. Is pronounced as ''She arrived on the fourteenth of December''. ''December the fourteenth''. ''December fourteenth.''' 'Fourteenth December''.

And in the following sentence, ''In the late afternoon of April 14, Booth watched a rehearsal of the play that would be performed that evening''. Can ''April 14'' be pronounced as ''April the fourteenth'', ''April fourteenth'' and ''Fourteenth April?''

The second sentence is from the book ''1100 Words You Need to Know.''

 

[jutfrank]

The second sentence is from the book ''1100 Words You Need to Know.''

The second sentence is fine, but the first, which you appear to have made up yourself, is not right, so your question about how to pronounce it is not really valid.

Am I right that you made up the first sentence?

 

[Rachel Adams]

The second sentence is fine, but the first, which you appear to have made up yourself, is not right, so your question about how to pronounce it is not really valid.



Am I right that you made up the first sentence?

Yes, you are. I should probably add ''on.'' Am I right? And is the second sentence pronounced as I have written?

 

[Tdol]

Can ''April 14'' be pronounced as ''April the fourteenth'', ''April fourteenth'' and ''Fourteenth April?''

It can for me.

 

[jutfrank]

Can ''April 14'' be pronounced as ''April the fourteenth'', ''April fourteenth'' and ''Fourteenth April?''

Only the first two. There are three possible ways to pronounce that:

1) April fourteen
2) April fourteenth
3) April the fourteenth

 

[Yankee]

Hello.


On is always used in speech but can it be omitted in writing?

For example, ''She arrived 14 December''. Is pronounced as ''She arrived on the fourteenth of December''. ''December the fourteenth''. ''December fourteenth.''' 'Fourteenth December''. I would not expect to hear or read "She arrived 'fourteenth December' ".

And in the following sentence, ''In the late afternoon of April 14, Booth watched a rehearsal of the play that would be performed that evening''. Can ''April 14'' be pronounced as ''April the fourteenth'', ''April fourteenth'' and ''Fourteenth April?'' Pronounced? OK except for "Fourteenth April".

The second sentence is from the book ''1100 Words You Need to Know.''

Maybe the title should be "1098 Words....."

 

[Rover_KE]

Whilst a BE speaker may write '14 April', an AE speaker may well read it as 'April fourteen', as the default order of date writing/saying for most Americans is to put the month first.

BE speakers tend to be more flexible in this respect.

 

[Rachel Adams]

''She arrived on the fourteenth of December'' or ''on December the fourteenth'', '' on December fourteenth'' are correct. Am I right?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes.

 

[Tarheel]

Rachel, I would write something the way I expect it to be pronounced.

 

[emsr2d2]

I tend to read dates in the month/date order they're written. If it's written as "April 14/April 14th", I'd say "April the fourteenth". If it's written as "14 April/14th April", I'd say "the fourteenth of April".

 

[jutfrank]

I tend to read dates in the month/date order they're written. If it's written as "April 14/April 14th", I'd say "April the fourteenth". If it's written as "14 April/14th April", I'd say "the fourteenth of April".

I assume that's the case with pretty much everyone.

 

[jutfrank]

''She arrived on the fourteenth of April'' or ''on April the fourteenth'', '' on April fourteenth'' are correct. Am I right?

No. I'm very surprised other members think it is. Only the first is likely.

Like in Russian, we read English from left to right. We'd pronounce the number first, since it's the first word our eyes meet. I think it's very unlikely that somebody would consciously attempt to swap the day and month around.

 

[Tdol]

If a text said April the fourteenth and someone read it aloud as fourteenth April, would anybody actually care or feel strongly about it? I wouldn't.

 

[emsr2d2]

I wouldn't care but I would be surprised.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Only the first two. There are three possible ways to pronounce that:

1) April fourteen
2) April fourteenth
3) April the fourteenth

Oh, even April fourteen is possible? For example, she was born 14 April. I can pronounce it as ''She was born April fourteen'' or ''April fourteenth'' and ''April the fourteenth''. Right?

 

[jutfrank]

Oh, even April fourteen is possible? For example, she was born 14 April. I can pronounce it as ''She was born April fourteen'' or ''April fourteenth'' and ''April the fourteenth''. Right?

No. Please read our posts more carefully. Also, read your own posts carefully.

 

[Rachel Adams]

No. Please read our posts more carefully. Also, read your own posts carefully.

I asked my previous question when I read your answer on page 1. Sorry, but I don't understand. Could you please explain once again?
Can ''April 14'' be pronounced as ''April the fourteenth'', ''April fourteenth'' and ''Fourteenth April?''
Only the first two. There are three possible ways to pronounce that:

1) April fourteen
2) April fourteenth
3) April the fourteenth

''There are three possible ways to pronounce that.''Do you mean there are three possible ways to pronounce them when we are stating a date without ''on''. But if we are saying that something happened on that day or someone was born on that day ''April fourteenth'' and ''April the fourteenth'' are used but not April fourteen. Am I right?
1) April fourteen
2) April fourteenth
3) April the fourteenth

 

[emsr2d2]

BrE speakers would not say "April fourteen" in any situation.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm not sure where the confusion is, Rachel Adams.

I think it lies in the fact that some of us are thinking that you're asking how to read aloud written dates and some of us are thinking you're asking generally about how to say dates. I think the confusion is also related to the fact that when the date is part of a sentence, you have to use a preposition because it usually appears as part of a preposition phrase.

Look:

"I was born on April (the) fourteenth."

In the sentence above, you have to include on. The sentence is a transcription of what somebody would say.

April 14

Written alone like this, the date is not part of a preposition phrase, so no preposition is necessary. The words are not a transcription of what somebody would say.