Meaning & use
month
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Meanings
nouncountable
One of the twelve periods that a year is divided into, each lasting from 28 to 31 days.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a month,' 'two months,' 'every month.'
Patterns
- in a month
- for a month
- next month
- last month
January is the first month of the year.
We're going on vacation next month.
The project took three months to complete.
nouncountable
A period of about 30 days, used especially in billing or employment.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or numbers to mean a roughly 30-day period, not a calendar month.
Patterns
- a month's rent
- per month
- monthly payment
The rent is due at the beginning of each month.
She earns about $3,000 a month.
The subscription costs $10 per month.
Word forms
| plural | months |
|---|
Common combinations
- last month
- We visited Paris last month.
- next month
- The new store opens next month.
- once a month
- I go to the dentist once a month.
- month by month
- The situation improved month by month.
- a month's notice
- You need to give a month's notice before leaving the job.
Word family
- monthly adjective
- Happening once every month.
- monthly adverb
- Once a month.
- monthly noun
- A magazine published once a month.
- bimonthly adjective
- Happening every two months or twice a month.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'month' correctly?
Choose one answer.
We use 'for' with a duration: 'for three months.' 'On month' is wrong; 'in every month' is not natural; 'for a month's' is incomplete.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “month”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.