Special purpose of any comma

Written by

Elizabeth H. Simmons

July 10, 2023

6 min read

The correct use of commas is not a burdensome grammar rule. These punctuation marks help to put accents in your essay and make your text flow. Notably that without the knowledge of certain rules, this quotation mark can be quite troublesome during your essay writing. In one case, the comma points out a pause, and in another – it separates the structural components of a sentence. Even more – the absence or presence of commas can significantly change the meaning of a phrase. This article covers one case of using commas – in dates.

How to punctuate dates properly

General rules

When writing dates, we use the listing comma according to the following rules:

1. If you outline a date in the month-day-year format– the comma is required before the year. This style is usually called as American.

Example:

    words: July 1, 2020.

    7/1/2020.

2. If you indicate the weekdays with dates, use one comma after the weekday and another – before the year.

Example:

    We will meet on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

3. If you indicate the month, day, and year at the beginning of your sentence – put commas before and after the year.

Example:

    7, 2020, marks my 20th birthday.

4. If you indicate the month, day, and year in the middle of your sentence – put one comma before the year and another one – after it.

Example:

    He noted that our meeting would take place on May 4, 2020, after all, necessary arrangements.

5. If you indicate the month, day, and year at the end of your sentence – put the comma before the year only.

Example:

    We had an amazing voyage on June 27, 2017.

Exceptions

Omit the comma if you indicate only a month and a day

Example:

    I have doubts about how to punctuate essay titles correctly, write essays in plain language. Therefore, I have registered for an upcoming seminar on essay writing scheduled for March 16.

Omit the comma if you indicate only a month and a year

Example:

    Our exhibition will take place approximately in September 2021.

Special cases

Most resources state – the comma is required if the date is used as an adjective.

Example:

    March 19, 2019, a concert I waited so much had been canceled the same day.

However, such an approach is a little bit difficult for reading. To be on the safe side, it is better to paraphrase the sentence.

Example:

    waited so much for a concert scheduled on March 19, 2019, but it had been canceled the same day.

If you use the inverted format day-month-year – the comma is omitted. This style is usually called as British.

Examples:

    We had published our first magazine on 1 July 1997 and managed to sell all copies within a couple of days.

    You may find out how to punctuate quotes in essays correctly at our seminar on essay writing scheduled on 16 March 2020.

Exercises to check yourself

Exercise 1

Below you can find the sentences with incorrect punctuation. Check yourself using the rules and examples mentioned above:

1. We need to prepare all documents to award Mr. Jones on May 7.
2. She was born on 17 March 2000, but her birth was registered mistakenly on 18 March 2000.
3. My essay writing course will be completed on 16 April 2020.
4. On Wednesday, 4 March 2020, I had to return from my business trip urgently.
5. She passed her final exams in June 2019 successfully.
6. They will come back to Rome from their trip on Wednesday, 25 March 2020.
7. I will complete my course on April 9, 2019, after passing my final exams.

Exercise 2

Below you can find a text with a lot of dates and without any commas. Based on the rules mentioned in this article, put commas where necessary.

Circles of delivery

Never relied on various online shops and strived to make my purchases in ordinary stores instantly and personally. But always knew – one day, I would have to deal with online shops. That day had come.

Joan, a good friend of mine, had her birthday on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. Being aware of the exact present she wanted so much, I started searching for this book in advance on March 1, 2019, approximately one month earlier. How much I was disappointed when I saw this book available only at one online shop. Searching for alternatives and making useless gifts was the last thing I wanted. So I assumed this risk and ordered the desired book on March 2, 2019. I looked through the marketplace rules once again, made some calculations, and expected my book to arrive on March 20. Tracking showed my order was shipped on March 3, 2019. Its status changed on March 6, 2019; luckily, it was in transit. March 10, 2019, my order was processed through the facility. I was so glad much my order would arrive so soon. However, the next day on March 11, 2019, I saw my parcel was returning back. On the same day, on March 11, I lodged my claim to this online shop concerned. A couple of negotiations brought the result – on March 14, 2019, I saw my parcel moving to its destination. On March 24, 2019, my tracking showed this parcel was already at the customs. I waited for another couple of days had already memorized my tracking number and inserted it without using my receipt. The parcel was in transit again on March 30, 2019. Another couple of days and finally expected line in tracking – delivered on April 5, 2019. I rushed to a local post and took my parcel with the present for Joan. It was amazing, just as I expected. In the end, the value of this stress is null if you see your happy friend with that desired book.

Final words

Hope this article was helpful and provided all the rules for placing commas in dates easily and correctly. Feel free to refer to this article in case of any doubts regarding essay punctuation.