ENGLISH
REFERENCE

the 20th century

compound.
A1 Beginner Oxford

compound. The period of time from the year 1901 to 2000. We often use it to talk about the history, art, and technology of that time.

compound. The historical period spanning the hundred years from 1 January 1901 to 31 December 2000.


SIMPLE

My grandparents were born in the 20th century.

CONTEXTUAL

The world changed dramatically during the 20th century with two world wars and many technological advances.

COMPLEX

Historians argue that the ideological conflicts that defined the 20th century have been replaced by new global challenges.

Usage

This phrase almost always uses the definite article 'the' and an ordinal number (e.g., 20th, 21st).

Teaching tip

Drill the pattern: the century number is always one higher than the 'hundreds' of the years within it (e.g., the 1900s are in the 20th century).

Pitfall

He was born in 20 century.He was born in the 20th century.This phrase requires the definite article 'the' and an ordinal number ('20th'), not a cardinal number ('20').

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