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Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2011 November 28

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November 28 edit

Doing without "on" when dating an event edit

We can write:

  • The novelist Rock Hardman was born on 9 May 1974, or
  • On 9 May 1974, the novelist Rock Hardman was born.

We can also leave the "on" out, and write:

  • The novelist Rock Hardman was born 9 May 1974.

But we can't write (*):

  • 9 May 1974 the novelist Rock Hardman was born, or even
  • Nine May 1974 the novelist Rock Hardman was born.

That is, we can do without the word "on" when the date follows the event, but not when it precedes it. Why?

(*) I'm talking about ordinary prose, and not a list such as:

Events of 1974

  • 2 February: xxxx
  • 12 April: xxx
  • 9 May: Rock Hardman was born.
  • 17 July: xxx

Thanks. -- Jack of Oz [your turn] 00:03, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Not in UK English, Jack. The 'on' is needed whether the date comes before the phrase or after it. Dropping the 'on' seems a purely American feature to me, and I didn't know it was also a feature of Australian English. Having said that, I asked my mum earlier about when she is going for a week's holiday down south, and she said, 'December 9th, we go,' so it looks like it is possible, and both of us were wrong. :) KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 02:06, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Yes, a date can be the subject of a sentence ('December 9th is the date we go') and the implied "on" at the end is suppressed, but UK English still retains the "on" in full sentences. Lists commonly omit the "on", but we would restore it when translating the list to a full sentence. Dbfirs 09:09, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I wonder if the "on" is suppressed because people think they shouldn't end a sentence on a preposition, so just leave it off. ("December 9th is the date on which we go" is rather clunky, after all.) --Tango (talk) 13:50, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I doubt it - my mum doesn't know what a preposition is :) I think she's shortening it from 'Dec 9th is when we go', rather than from 'Dec 9th is the date we go [on]'. KägeTorä - (影虎) (TALK) 14:49, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

How to answer a question posted in 2006 edit

"Lunchbox in Portuguese" posted May 19,2006 - I have the answer but can't contact users Manop and / or HenryFlower, TheMAdBaron. I'm supposed to use the search box to send a public message, but where is the search box? Thank you. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 1947rogs (talk • contribs) 18:35, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

The search box is in the upper right-hand corner of each page. You can leave a message for Manop at th:คุยกับผู้ใช้:Manop, for Henry Flower at User talk:Henry Flower, and for TheMadBaron at User talk:TheMadBaron. All three of them are still active at Wikipedia. Angr (talk) 20:58, 28 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
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