English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Commas with dates
Commas with dates
What you'll learn
- Identify and categorize at least three different text structures (e.g., cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution) in short non-fiction passages with 80% accuracy.
- Explain how the author's choice of a specific text structure (e.g., sequence, description) contributes to the overall meaning and purpose of a given passage, providing at least two supporting details.
- Apply knowledge of text structures to predict the content and organization of a new passage based on its title and introductory paragraph, justifying their prediction with specific references to potential text structures.
- Distinguish between different text structures used within a single, complex text, providing examples of how each structure contributes to a specific aspect of the overall message with 75% accuracy.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Correctly place a comma between the day and the year in a standard date format.
Correctly place a comma after the year when a full date is used within a sentence.
Identify when a comma is not needed, such as when only a month and year are written.
Write complete sentences that include dates with accurate comma placement.
Edit sentences to correct comma errors in dates.
Explain the two main rules for using commas with dates.
Do you know when the last day of school is? ☀️ Let's learn how to write that date perfectly so everyone can start the countdown!
Commas are like little helpers in our sentences. They tell us when to pause and help make our writing clear. Today, we will learn the special rules for using commas when we write dates, which is an impo...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
CommaA punctuation mark (,) that is used to separate items in a list or parts of a sentence.We need milk, eggs, and bread.
DateA specific point in time, usually shown as the month, day, and year.January 1, 2025
MonthOne of the twelve periods into which a year is divided.The month is December.
DayThe number that shows a specific day of the month.Her birthday is on the 15th day of the month.
YearA period of 365 or 366 days, starting on January 1st.The year is 2024.
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The Day-Year Rule
Month Day, Year
When you write a full date with the month, day, and year, you must place a comma between the number of the day and the year. This separates the two numbers to make the date easier to read.
The In-a-Sentence Rule
On Month Day, Year, the rest of the sentence continues.
When a full date is used in the middle of a sentence, it needs a comma after the day AND a comma after the year. The two commas act like handles, holding the date inside the sentence.
The No-Comma Rule
Month Year
If you are only writing the month and the year, or only the month and the day, you do not need to use a comma.
4 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Read the sentence: 'The holiday, Valentine's Day, is on February 14 2025, this year.' What is the main error in this sentence?
A.There should not be a comma after 'holiday'.
B.The comma after '2025' is not needed.
C.The name 'Valentine's Day' should not be set off by commas.
D.comma is missing between the day and the year in the date.
Challenging
A classmate says, 'You must always put a comma between the month and the year.' Which example proves this rule is sometimes incorrect?
A.The game is on October 31, 2026.
B.I am leaving in December 2025.
C.Her birthday is on Sunday, May 5.
D.On June 6, 1944, the invasion began.
Challenging
You need to write a sentence about a historic event. The information is: Event: First moon landing. Day of week: Sunday. Date: July 20, 1969. Which sentence correctly combines and punctuates this information?
A.The first moon landing occurred on Sunday, July 20, 1969.
B.On Sunday July 20, 1969, the first moon landing occurred.
C.The first moon landing, on Sunday, July 20 1969, was a historic event.
D.The first moon landing occurred on Sunday, July, 20, 1969.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing FreeMore from Commas
English Language Arts for other grades
Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Commas with dates"?
Commas with dates is a Grade 4 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Commas with dates?
You'll be able to: Identify and categorize at least three different text structures (e.g., cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution) in short non-fiction passages with 80% accuracy; Explain how the author's choice of a specific….
Is "Commas with dates" free to practice?
Yes. You can read the tutorial preview for free, and signing up for a free ExcelOS account unlocks the full tutorial and all practice questions with instant feedback.
How many practice questions are included with Commas with dates?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.