The Rules:

No comma between just month and year.
Comma on both sides of the year with date and year.
Comma on both sides of the date with day and date.

Examples:

I started school October 2003.

• No comma since this just has month and year.

A horrible tragedy struck on September 11, 2001, and the whole US mourned.

• Comma on both sides of the year since you have date and year.

On Monday, December 19, Christmas vacation begins.

• Comma on both sides of the date since you have the day and date.

My mom arrived home Wednesday, July 3, 2019, from her mission.

• Comma on both sides of the date since you have day and date and comma on both sides of year since you have date and year.

Practice:

1. Martin Luther King was born on January 15 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.
2. June 2004 was a wonderful month for my family.
3. It happened Tuesday Jan 3 at five o’clock.
4. On September 10 1997 Mayor Max’s children rode to school in a horse-drawn carriage that was built on August 15 1888.
5. I don’t want to repeat the horrible famine in my business during January 2019.
6. My son was born Wednesday November 14 2018 at six a.m.
7. I found out I had gestational diabetes Wednesday September 19.

Answers :

1. Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.
2. June (no comma with month and year) 2004 was a wonderful month for my family.
3. It happened Tuesday, Jan 3, at five o’clock.
4. On September 10, 1997, Mayor Max’s children rode to school in a horse-drawn carriage that was built on August 15, 1888.
5. I don’t want to repeat the horrible famine in my business during January (no comma) 2019.
6. My son was born Wednesday, November 14, 2018, at six a.m.
7. I found out I had gestational diabetes Wednesday, September 19.

Katie Chambers

Katie Chambers, owner of Beacon Point, is a nonfiction and fiction substantive (developmental) editor and copy editor for independent authors, content writer and editor for business professionals, online teacher, and professional speaker.
​
As an editor, she acts as a beacon by building partnerships with authors and encouraging them.

She loves books and believes they have the power to transform lives. And as such, she wants to ensure that nothing stands in the way of an author’s message or story by reducing errors and strengthening their writing and plot and character development.

​Visit her business website, follow or chat with her on Instagram, or connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn.

If you’re an author, take a look at her writing resources page to access free resources for you.