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TEXT_131_Numbers.txt
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1995-06-10
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Numbers
Ages:
Except in formal writing, definite ages should be expressed in numerals:
10 years old, a lad of 5 years, 47 years old
Formal: Many people retire at age sixty–five.
Dates:
In very formal writing (invitations, etc.), the date is spelled out:
Saturday, May sixth, one thousand nine hundred and eighty–nine
or
Saturday, May sixth, nineteen hundred and eighty–nine
In letters and informal writing shorten the date:
Saturday, May 6, 1989
Decimals and Percentage:
Use numerals to express decimals. When expressing a decimal that is not preceded by a whole number, add a zero to the left of the decimal point
(period) unless the first digit to the right is a zero:
23.7765 0.897 0.6 .0076
You may use numerals to express percentages, but always spell out a percentage at the beginning of a sentence:
We were over 80 percent in attendance.
—BUT—
Eighty percent were in attendance.
In tabulations, memos, etc., use % instead of spelling out "percent":
We lost 80% of our office staff to the recent flu epidemic.
Dimensions, Distance, Measure, Temperature, Weight:
In formal writing use numerals to express units of:
Dimension: 5 by 8 feet
-NOT-
5 x 8 feet or 5' by 8'
Distance: 25 miles
-BUT-
Spell out a fraction of a mile (a quarter of a mile).
Measure: 5 pints, 25 gallons, 10 bushels, 3 liters
Temperature: 105° F, 25° C
Weight: 16 grams, 3 ounces, 40 pounds, 105 tons
In less formal writing, abbreviate, but do not capitalize:
10 ft 5 in 30 mi 100 yd 10 lbs 4 oz
In technical writing use ' for feet, " for inches, and x for by:
6' x 9' 6' 8" x 3' 4"
Fractions:
Where possible, fractions should either be spelled out or expressed as decimals :
a quarter of an acre — 0.25 acre — 1/4 acre
—NOT—
0.25 of an acre — 1/4 of an acre — 1/4th acre
When a fraction is the subject of a sentence, the verb must agree with the noun in the prepositional phrase:
Nine–tenths of the people were late.
Three–fourths of the plant was damaged.
General:
In formal writing, numbers should be spelled out unless they are very long:
ten, fifty, ninety–nine
-BUT-
5,280
Never start a sentence with a numeral. When possible, rephrase a sentence to begin with another word. Otherwise, spell it out:
Ten dollars was enough for a pretty good time back then.
Back then, one could have a pretty good time for ten
dollars.
Spell out approximations:
about a hundred miles, approximately four pounds
Spell out round numbers:
one hundred, a million, five thousand
Spell out numbers from one through ten, except in related series:
2 ducks, 5 geese, 7 chickens, and 10 hogs
When related numbers appear within a sentence, be consistent in expressing them:
15 gallons of gas for each 100 miles
or
fifteen gallons of gas for each one hundred miles
But, when numbers appear together, spell out the shorter of the two:
10 twenty–cent cigars, a hundred 1975 Mustangs
Use numerals to express exact amounts and/or long numbers:
246 passengers; 1,658,400 light years from Earth
Money:
In formal writing small amounts of money should be spelled out:
ten dollars, two hundred dollars, fifty cents
In less formal writing, and when expressing larger amounts, use numerals:
50 million dollars or $50 million;
$2.5 million or two and a half million dollars;
$2.75 billion; $750,000; $1,500; $675.50
Use ¢ for cents only when there are no dollars in the amount:
50¢ (same as $.50) 5¢ (same as $.05)
But never use both: $1.50¢
Page Numbers & Roman Numerals:
Always use numerals for page numbers:
page 3, page 649
Table of Roman numerals:
1–I; 2–II; 3–III; 4–IV; 5–V; 6–VI; 7–VII; 8–VIII; 9–IX; 10–X
11–XI; 14–XIV; 19–XIX; 20–XX; 30–XXX 40–XL; 50–L; 60–LX; 70–LXX; 80–LXXX
90–XC; 100–C; 200–CC; 300–CCC; 400-CD; 500–D; 600–DC; 900–CM; 1000–M
4000–MV; 5000–V; 10,000–X; 100,000–C; 1,000,000–M; 1989–MCMLXXXIX
Time:
In formal writing spell out the time of day:
eight in the morning, five o'clock that night
In letters, memos, instructions, etc., use numerals to express time:
8 a.m. or 8 A.M. 4:45 p.m. or 4:45 P.M.
Do not add zeros to even hours unless a time containing minutes appears in the same sentence:
The first train arrives at 8 a.m.
The trains will arrive hourly from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Spell out decades and centuries:
those fabulous sixties, the sixteenth century