Editing Encyclopedia:Manual of Style (section)

==Dates and time==
{{Main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers#Chronological items}}

Dates should be [[Wikipedia:Linking|linked]] only when they are germane and topical to the subject, as discussed at {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Linking|Chronological items}}. For ranges of dates and times, see {{section link||Other uses for en dashes}}.

===Time of day===
{{Main|MOS:TIME}}

Times of day are normally expressed in figures rather than words. Context determines whether the [[12-hour clock|12-]] or the [[24-hour clock|24-hour]] format is more appropriate.
*Twelve-hour clock times are written in one of two forms: {{xt|11:15&nbsp;a.m.}} and {{xt|2:30&nbsp;p.m.}}, or {{xt|11:15&nbsp;am}} and {{xt|2:30&nbsp;pm}} (wherein the spaces should be [[#Non-breaking spaces|non-breaking]]). Use {{xt|noon}} and {{xt|midnight}} rather than {{!xt|12&nbsp;pm}} and {{!xt|12&nbsp;am}}; it may need to be specified whether ''midnight'' refers to the start or end of a date.
*Twenty-four-hour clock times are written in the form {{xt|08:15}} and {{xt|22:55}}, with no suffix. Midnight written as {{xt|00:00}} begins the day; {{xt|24:00}} ends it.

===Dates<span id="Choice of format"></span><span id="Days"></span>===
{{Main|MOS:DATEFORMAT}}

Full dates are formatted {{xt|{{nobr|10 June 1921}}}} or {{xt|{{nobr|June 10, 1921}}}}; or where the year is omitted, use {{xt|{{nobr|10 June}}}} or {{xt|{{nobr|June 10}}}}.
*The dates in the ''text'' of any one article should all have the same format (day-first or month-first).
**For date formats in citations, see {{section link|Wikipedia:Citing sources|Citation style}}.
**Dates in quotations and titles are always left as-is.
**If a numerical format is required (e.g., for conciseness in lists and tables), use the YYYY-MM-DD format: {{xt|{{nobr|2005-04-03}}}}.
*Articles on topics with strong ties to a particular English-speaking country should generally use the more common date format for that country (month-first for the US, except in military usage; day-first for most others; articles related to Canada may use either consistently). Otherwise, do not change an article from one date format to the other without good reason.

===Months===
{{Main|MOS:MONTH}}
*For month and year, write {{xt|June 1921}}, with no comma.
*Abbreviations for months, such as {{xt|Feb}}, are used only where space is extremely limited. Such abbreviations should use three letters only, and should not be followed by a period (full point) except at the end of a sentence.

===Seasons===
{{Main|MOS:SEASON}}
*Avoid ambiguous references to [[seasons]], which are different in the southern and northern hemispheres.
*Names of seasons may be used when there is a logical connection to the event being described ({{xt|the autumn harvest}}) or when referring to a phase of a natural yearly cycle ({{xt|migration typically starts in mid-spring}}). Otherwise, neutral wording is usually preferable ({{xt|He was elected in November 1992}}, not {{!xt|He was elected in the fall of 1992}}).
*Journals and other publications that are issued seasonally (e.g., "Summer 2005") should be dated as such in citations {{crossref|pw=y|(for more information, see {{section link|Wikipedia:Citing sources|Seasonal publication dates and differing calendar systems}})}}.

===Years and longer periods===
{{Main|MOS:DECADE|MOS:CENTURY|MOS:ERA}}
*Do not use ''the year'' before the digits ({{xt|1995}}, not {{!xt|the year 1995}}), unless the meaning would otherwise be unclear.
*Decades are written in the format {{xt|the 1980s}}, with no apostrophe. Use the two-digit form ('80s) only with an established social or cultural meaning. Avoid forms such as {{!xt|the 1700s}} that could refer to ten or a hundred years.
*Years are denoted by [[Anno Domini|AD and BC]] or, equivalently, [[Common Era|CE and BCE]]. Use only one system within an article, and do not change from one system to the other without good reason. The abbreviations are written without periods, and with a [[#Non-breaking spaces|non-breaking space]], as in {{xt|5&nbsp;BC}}. Omit AD or CE unless omitting it would cause ambiguity.

More information on all the above topics can be found at {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers|Chronological items}}, including the handling of dates expressed in different calendars, and times corresponding to different time zones.

===Current===
{{Main|MOS:CURRENT}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:As of|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch#Relative time references}}

Terms such as "current", "now", and "recent"{{efn|name=recent}} should be avoided. What is current today may not be tomorrow; situations change over time. Instead, use date- and time-specific text. To help keep information updated use {{tlx|As of}}, which will allow editors to catalog and update dated statements.

{| role="presentation" style="margin:0.2em 0 0.5em 1.6em; background:transparent;color: var( --color-base );"
|-
| {{em|Incorrect:}} || {{!xt|He is the current ambassador to&nbsp;...}}
|-
| {{em|Correct:}} || {{xt|As of March 2011, he is the ambassador to&nbsp;...}}
|}