The general rule is that all numbers ten and below should be spelt and numbers 11 and above should be put in numerals. However, there are certain exceptions to this:
• If numbers recur through the text or are being used for calculations, then numerals should be used.
• If the number is approximate (e.g. ‘around six hundred years ago’) it should be spelled out.
• Very large numbers should generally be expressed without using rows of zeros where possible (e.g. $3.5 million instead of $3,500,000). In contracts, the use of both words and numbers is common in order to increase certainty. For example, ‘THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED EUROS (€3,500)’.
• Percentages may be spelled out (twenty percent) or written as numbers (20%)
• Numbers that begin sentences should be spelled out.
Decimal points
In English writing, the decimal point is represented by a dot (.) and commas are used to break up long numbers. Commas cannot be used to represent a decimal point.
Therefore, the number ten thousand five hundred and fifty-three and three-quarters is written like this in English:
10,553.75
while in most Continental European countries, it is written like this:
10.553,75
When referring to sums of money, the following rules apply:
• When writing numerical sums, the currency sign goes before the sum (e.g. $100). Note that there is no gap between the sign and the figure that follows it.
• When spelling out numbers, the name of the currency is put after the number (e.g. ‘one hundred pounds sterling’).
The percentage sign (%) appears after the number to which it relates, and there is no gap between the sign and the number (e.g. 95%).
See www.legalenglishstore.com for more legal English materials.
Except for a few basic rules, spelling out numbers vs. using figures (also called numerals) is largely a matter of writers' preference. Again, consistency is the key.
ReplyDeleteRule 1 - Spell out all numbers beginning a sentence.
Rule 2 - Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.
Rule 3 - Hyphenate all written-out fractions.
Rule 4 - With figures of four or more digits, use commas. Count three spaces to the left to place the first comma. Continue placing commas after every three digits.
Rule 5 - It is not necessary to use a decimal point or a dollar sign when writing out sums of less than a dollar.
Rule 6 - Do not add the word "dollars" to figures preceded by a dollar sign.
Rule 7 - For clarity, use noon and midnight rather than 12:00 PM and 12:00 AM.
Rule 8 - Using numerals for the time of day has become widely accepted.
Rule 9 - Mixed fractions are often expressed in figures unless they begin a sentence.
Rule 10 - Read more at https://www.essaypeer.com