|
Question from a reader - “separated by dashes”?
- Spell out or use numerals?
There is often confusion as to when to spell out numbers and when to use numerals. Just follow these rules:
- Never begin a sentence with a numeral.
- When the number is in the middle of a sentence, spell it out.
- When using a set of numbers, use numerals.
- Decimal fractions and percentages should be expressed in numerals, not in words.
Back to Top
- Numbers for advertising
When writing numbers for advertising, use figures for emphasis and words for formality. For example:
Don’t Miss Our 10th Anniversary Sale! (emphasis); and It’s Our Tenth Anniversary Sale (formality).
Back to Top
- Writing measurements
When writing measurements, use numerals, not words. For example: Write ‘6 feet’, NOT ‘six feet’.
Back to Top
- Writing decimals in words
When writing decimals in words, do not use the word “point”. For example for 10.7, do not write “ten point seven”. The correct way to write this is “ten and seven tenths”.
Back to Top
- Adjacent numbers
When numbers are adjacent, spell out one number and use numerals for the other. For example: * We need 100 ten-page booklets.
* There were 8 six-foot high statues in the museum hall.
Back to Top
- Writing ordinal numbers
Spell out ordinal numbers (first, second, third, ……) in your writing. For example, write ‘This is my second essay’, and NOT ‘This is my 2nd essay’.
Back to Top
- Percentages in formal writing
In formal writing, spell out the word percent. For example: ‘The figures showed an increase of 3 percent in prices’. Use the symbol (%) only in headlines, tables, charts and graphs.
Back to Top
- Writing fractions in words
When writing fractions as words, do not hyphenate them; unless they are serving as adjectives. For example: two thirds of a piece, but two-thirds share.
Back to Top
- Writing time with o’clock
When writing time with o’clock, always spell out the number. For example: six o’clock; NOT 6 o’clock.
Back to Top
- Plurals of numbers
When writing decades or plurals of numbers, add s, not ‘s. For example: 1980s, not 1980’s; fours, not four’s.
Back to Top
- Numbers in recipes
Use digits when writing recipes. For example: ‘Add 2 cups milk’. NOT ‘Add two cups milk’.
Back to Top
- Writing rounded numbers
Spell out numbers that are generalized rounded numbers. For example:
approximately two hundred, NOT approximately 200; or about ten, NOT about 10.
Back to Top
- Numbers to stand out
Numbers less than 10 are usually written in words. But if you want your numbers to stand out, like in a resume, use figures, not words. For example:
“I have 5 years of experience”. NOT “I have five years of experience”.
Back to Top
|
