Dealing with the units which form part of the system of counting and calculating could be a difficult one for language users. Many language users goof when they have to make grammatical decisions relating to the use of numbers.
This piece will highlight aspects of numbers in English with a view to accounting for their correct usages. It should be mentioned that the rules of writing and articulating numbers are not always sacrosanct; they change according to style guides. Notwithstanding, there are general rules that can be upheld by English language users.
Generally, numbers under 10 are spelt out unless a style guide states otherwise. This is seen in the sentences below:
The man has five houses and three hotels in Lagos (more acceptable).
The man has 5 houses and 3 hotels in Lagos (less acceptable).
It should be mentioned that some style guides recommend spelling out numbers from one to one hundred. At other times, the figures could be put in brackets while the words are spelt out, especially in academic writing. The three styles below are, therefore, acceptable:
A total of 40 participants were interviewed.
A total of forty participants were interviewed.
A total of forty (40) participants were interviewed.
Again, numbers at the beginning of sentences should be spelt out, notwithstanding the digits, as buttressed by the example sentences below:
60 students were admitted, but only 50 students were present today (less acceptable).
Sixty students were admitted, but only 50 students were present today (more acceptable).
Usually, fractions are written in words in sentences. This is exemplified below:
About ⅓ of the work has been done (less acceptable).
About one-third of the work has been done (more acceptable).
This piece has so far considered numbers that should be written in words. Turning the other way, note that numbers above 10 are preferably written in figures. This is shown below:
She bought twelve books, fourteen shirts and eleven pairs of shoes (less acceptable).
She bought 12 books, 14 shirts and 11 pairs of shoes (more acceptable).
Note that while the general rules have it that numbers below ten should be spelt out, and numbers above ten should be written in figures, there has to be consistency when making a list, even when some of the numbers are less than ten and others are greater than ten:
Her siblings are aged 4, 7, eleven and fifteen (less acceptable).
Her siblings are aged 4, 7, 11 and 15 (more acceptable).
Her siblings are aged four, seven, eleven and fifteen (quite acceptable).
Moving on, dates and years are written in figures. Take note of how a date is written in British English and American English.
The event is scheduled for 3 June 2022 (British English).
The event is scheduled for 3rd June 2022 (British English).
The event is scheduled for June 3, 2022 (American English).
Read also: Practical writing guides
As opposed to fractions which are preferably written in words, percentages are more acceptable in figures:
As the research shows, 43% of the participants do not enjoy their jobs.
However, percentages should appear in words when found at the beginning of a sentence:
43% of the participants do not enjoy their jobs (less acceptable).
Forty-three per cent of the participants do not enjoy their jobs (more acceptable).
Some numbering situations accept both options: an example is the use of decades, as shown in the three sentences below:
My sister was born in the seventies (acceptable).
My sister was born in the 1970s (acceptable).
My sister was born in the ‘70s (acceptable).
In relation to time, figures are spelt out when they are followed by ‘o’clock’ and portrayed as digits when they are followed by ‘a.m.’ or ‘p.m.’, as exemplified hereunder:
The men arrived at 5 o’clock (less acceptable).
The men arrived at five o’clock (more acceptable).
The men arrived at five p.m. (less acceptable).
The men arrived at 5 p.m. (more acceptable).
Still on time, noon and midnight are preferably written out as words instead of being stated as figures in sentences:
We left school at noon and returned around midnight (more acceptable).
We left school at 12 p.m. and returned around 12 a.m. (less acceptable).
It should also be noted that plural indicates anything more than one, and that does not necessarily begin from two. So, one should say ‘one and a half hours’, not ‘one and a half hour’. Finally, one of the functions of letter o, as indicated in all reputable dictionaries, is that it is used in speech to mean zero. Therefore, in telling someone a phone number or in mentioning a year, ‘o’ should be used instead of ‘zero’:
My phone number is o eight o three one o five six one double o (08031056100) (more acceptable).
My phone number is zero eight zero three one zero five six one double zero (08031056100) (less acceptable).
The conference was in nineteen o four (more acceptable).
The conference was in nineteen zero four (less acceptable).
The readers should note that ‘zero’ should be used when writing the digits of a phone number, but ‘o’ should be used while articulating the same. This equally applies to mentioning years: o8o93454345 (unacceptable); 08093454345 (acceptable)
Although there is room for flexibility, readers should keep in mind that these general rules mainly guide the use of numbers in writing.
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