9

I want to add the following statement in an email:

This is being written to confirm that Mr. XYZ has been employed in our organization from September 2013 till date.

The "till date" part sounds incorrect to me. Is there any alternate term I can use that has the same meaning?

Ryan Kohn
  • 419
Real Chembil
  • 91

4 Answers4

12

The expression "to date" means "until the present", although I wouldn't use it in this context; "till date" appears to be Indian English for "until the present", and is incorrect outside of India. I don't believe anybody uses "until date" in this context.

I would say "until now" or "until the present".

Peter Shor
  • 88,407
  • 4
    oxforddictionaries to date (Indian also till date) - until now. – FumbleFingers Jan 18 '14 at 15:52
  • In the US, until now might be taken to mean he has just been let go. I agree with to date. Also to the present is also frequently found. – bib Jan 18 '14 at 18:48
  • You're right about until now: was employed until now certainly implies that he has been let go; has been employed until now, less so. In the US, you could use through the present to make it absolutely clear the employ is still with you, but I don't think through is used in this way in the UK. – Peter Shor Jan 18 '14 at 19:11
  • Now we'll soon see "uptil" -- also invented in India, I guess! –  Dec 31 '15 at 06:19
  • will to-date work both side, inside and outside of India? I am using it on my portfolio website. thanks @Peter for answer. – GD- Ganesh Deshmukh Nov 01 '19 at 13:20
1

In British English we would say, '... until the 17th of January.' We wouldn't use till, but I understand US English does allow till in this context.

Rory Alsop
  • 6,672
  • Thanks for the reply . If I had to rewrite the above statement in British English and considering that the employee is currently employed in the organization,will this statement be grammatically correct : This is being written to confirm that Mr.XYZ has been employed in our organization from September 2014 until date. – Real Chembil Jan 18 '14 at 14:47
  • If you meant 'is still employed' then you should write 'until now' as 'until date' is incorrect. – Rory Alsop Jan 18 '14 at 15:03
  • @Real Chembil: Peter Shor's answer notwithstanding, I would definitely use to date rather than until now in your specific context. But in practice I probably wouldn't use either - I'd just write/say *since September 2013*. – FumbleFingers Jan 18 '14 at 16:00
  • I'd possibly write since September as well, but never to date as it just makes no sense in this context. I am prepared to believe it does in the US, but certainly not here. – Rory Alsop Jan 18 '14 at 16:02
  • @RoryAlsop I am going with "since September". – Real Chembil Jan 18 '14 at 16:08
  • I have never heard till used this way in the US or Canada. As university educated US English speaker I would disagree that US English allows till in this context. – Kevin Morse Mar 13 '16 at 03:15
1

"Till date" has gained currency in India, but although I live in India and work as an editor, it doesn't sound right. It sounds like a term from a farmer's diary, where he's got a day kept aside to till his land.

Mohan Sivanand
  • 269
-2

'Till date' is certainly used very frequently in India which is where I live. It means 'till today' or 'uptil now'. Not many here would feel it to be wrong. Those who do will be those who have had a thorough grounding in British or American standard usageGiven that a pretty huge population in India uses the term for communication with one another, I think it is about time that English users from other countries recognise that there exists an unwritten Indian English Standard, and it would be better to stop nitpickicking because it does not conform to their Standard. From the communicative point of view I'm quite sure the American or British reader knows what is meant from the context.

Augusto Pinto
  • 11
  • 1
    This is more of a rant than a real answer; moreover, it doesn't add any new information that hasn't already been given in previous answers. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Aug 23 '14 at 08:31
  • 1
    Dear Janus, It does add new meanings of 'till date' viz. 'till today' and 'uptil now'. It also informs readers that the high-handedness of those English users who feel that their own standard is the right ones is resented by many Indian English users. – Augusto Pinto Aug 23 '14 at 10:06
  • 1
  • There is no such word as uptil. It is up till or up ’til or up until. 2) The meaning of till date as ‘until the present’ is already given in Peter’s answer. 3) The second part of your comment is what makes this a rant, not an answer. Rants are not accepted as questions or answers on ELU (or any other SE site).
    • – Janus Bahs Jacquet Aug 23 '14 at 10:31