Numbers

I always thought it was that 0-10 should be written out.

I've always read zero through ninety-nine should be spelled out, all above written in numerals, but that helps to explain my disdain for English's many "subjective rules".

This should help: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/numbers.htm

Oh, crikey, thanks Bermits. What a tedious new set of instruction to remember.

There is no rule that is based on the size of the number. This is purely a stylistic matter based on how readable it is. It is obviously quite easy to spell out and read one billion and 1,000,000,000 does not read as well to the innumerates of the world. When you start getting into large numbers with multiple non-zero digits, then it gets quite tricky.

I just finished taking a corporate writing course where we were told to write one through twelve, and then 13, 14 ....

there was one other option <puzzled look>, but we were told to pick one option and stick with it. I'll have to go look at that text and corporate style guide.

Corporate style guide. Bah!


<ahh, just saw - that's an academic style guide Bermbits linked to - use with caution if writing for a business/industrial application>

Always glad to help...

Just because there are annoying style guides out there doesn't mean they're not helpful, Bermbits.



I learned my freakin' lesson about the difference between academic applications and business applications in the world of resume writing. A c.v., which most teachers teach their students about, is not a resume. <sigh> Trying to explain to teachers why they shouldn't try to teach high school students about c.v.'s was once an annoying component of my work life. c.v.'s are for academics, not clerks and administrators. <grrrrrrrr, tucking rest of rant in>

We need 2,457,367,981 three-and-two-thousand-four-hundred-thirty-two-ten-thousandths of an inch widgets. Yikes!

Thanks bermbits!!

The business/ industry thing works, too, that's who I'm editing for right now. Thanks!

valpower -

Oh, ValP, recast the sentence! We need 2,457,367,981 widgets, sized (whatever that number is in decimal form -- in digits!).

Just don't start a sentence with a number. Whatever it is in that s position, spell it out. And if it's like Valp's example, RECAST THE SENTENCE.

Ohhh, I know, but I just couldn't resist. JTT's got me feeling feisty 'bout rules.