Number Rules!
Use these few simple tips to help you incorporate numbers into your writing!
1. Spell out the numbers that are one or two words.
EX: seventeen, four hundred, ninety-nine, five million
2. Never begin a sentence with a numeral.
- If the number is too long, try rephrasing your sentence to avoid the problem
3. Numbers are generally used for weight, time money, measurements, decimals, page references, percents, dates, and addresses.
4. Always write out ordinal numbers.
EX: first, second, third
5. If you ever have two numbers next to each other, you can put one number into words and the other into numerals for clarity.
EX: "I bought 25 one-inch binders."
6. When writing out dates, we use: July 15, 2012.
- July 15th, 2012 is incorrect
- The 15th of July is correct but not how we would normally say it; usually, we would just use this rule when describing a specific event
EX: The 4th of July
7. When referring to decades, there is no apostrophe before the "s," but there is a backwards one before the decade, representing the missing numbers.
EX: "This outfit is from the '70s."
1. Spell out the numbers that are one or two words.
EX: seventeen, four hundred, ninety-nine, five million
2. Never begin a sentence with a numeral.
- If the number is too long, try rephrasing your sentence to avoid the problem
3. Numbers are generally used for weight, time money, measurements, decimals, page references, percents, dates, and addresses.
4. Always write out ordinal numbers.
EX: first, second, third
5. If you ever have two numbers next to each other, you can put one number into words and the other into numerals for clarity.
EX: "I bought 25 one-inch binders."
6. When writing out dates, we use: July 15, 2012.
- July 15th, 2012 is incorrect
- The 15th of July is correct but not how we would normally say it; usually, we would just use this rule when describing a specific event
EX: The 4th of July
7. When referring to decades, there is no apostrophe before the "s," but there is a backwards one before the decade, representing the missing numbers.
EX: "This outfit is from the '70s."