Numbers
By Jackie Walters
EuroLogos.com
www.eurologos.com
Become a member of TranslationDirectory.com - click here!
After the summer holidays, I thought it
appropriate to take a dive into figures right
away and below you will find the answer to a number
of issues people have brought to my attention
over the months.
When to Spell Out
In text material, cardinal numbers from zero
through ten (some say twelve, this being a question
of house style), should be expressed in words
and those above ten in figures, unless the number
begins a sentence (all numbers should be spelled
out when they begin a sentence) or unless they
are listed below under Always in figures.
Examples:
Approximately ten people were in the auditorium.
Enrolment in the graduate programme increased
by 52 students.
Fifty-two people were in the auditorium.
In discussions in which clusters of spelled-out
numbers would be cumbersome, use
figures for all numbers.
Example:
The number of non-profit organisations in each
city was as follows: Brussels, 7;
Antwerp, 8; and Ghent, 1.
Numbers in the same category within the same
context should all be figures.
Example:
In one block a 103-story office building rises
between two old apartment houses
only 3 and 4 stories high.
Percentages
Numbers used to express percentages should be
written with numerals followed by the word percent
(per cent). However, the percent sign (%) may
be used in tables.
15 percent, 49 percent, 3 percent.
Units of Measurement
Physical quantitiesweights, pressures, temperatures,
distances, lengths, widths, areas, volumes,
etc. should be expressed in figures.
2 metres, 3 kilos, 180 degrees.
In measurements of less than one, the unit
of measurement should be expressed in the singular.
If more than one, the unit of measurement should
be expressed in the plural.
0.75 metre
1.25 metres.
Index numbers and ratios should be expressed
in figures.
price index of 121
1969 = 100
a 4:1 ratio.
Exact times should be expressed in figures,
before a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem),
with hours and minutes separated by a full stop
(UK) or colon (US).
10.30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. ten-thirty in the morning
12.00 p.m. or 12:00 p.m. twelve noon
12.00 a.m. or 12:00 a.m. twelve midnight
Fractions and decimals
Fractions should be spelled out in the text
except for physical measurements, decimal fractions,
and percentages.
More than three fourths (not three quarters).
In decimal amounts of less than one, a zero
should be placed to the left of the decimal
point.
EUR 0.5 billion, 0.7 percent.
Currencies
Exact amounts of money should be expressed in
figures. For large amounts in round numbers,
use the word million, billion, or trillion,
rather than zeros. The form is the same for
singular and plural, e.g., EUR 1 million, GBP
1 billion. The currency abbreviation and the
amount should never be separated at the end
of a line.
Currencies
Exact amounts of money should be expressed in
figures. For large amounts in round numbers,
use the word million, billion, or trillion,
rather than zeros. The form is the same for
singular and plural, e.g., EUR 1 million, GBP
1 billion. The currency abbreviation and the
amount should never be separated at the end
of a line.
This is a good start, but here are a few more
guidelines.
So, NEVER begin a sentence with a numeral: either
spell out the number, or rewrite the sentence
to move the number away from the beginning.
Very large round numbers should be spelled out:
not 1,000,000,000, but one billion. And this
is the only time you should mix spelling and
numerals.
In a series of numbers, either spell them out
or use numerals for every member of the list:
do not switch in the middle, as in "pages thirty-two,
ninety-six, 107, and 235.
There's no reason to use both numerals and words
for the same number: unless a law firm is paying
you enough money to butcher the language with
impunity, steer clear of abominations like "two
(2)" or 100 (one hundred)."
Use numerals for anything difficult to spell
out: not four and sixteen seventeenths, thirteen
thousand three hundred twenty six, or three
point one four one five nine. You can however,
spell out simple fractions like one half or
two thirds.
Signs and signals with Figures
The signs +, -, :, %, , Ђ, and $ should
be placed directly against the figure.
Always in figures
Age: 6 years old, aged 55
Dates: "3 October 2002, September 11, 2001.
Degrees: 3530, -4C
Market quotations: the bonds sold out at 95.
Page numbers: pages 19-26, pp. 34-35; 108-109.
Parts of written work: Chapter 2, Table 10,
Section III.
Serial numbers: Document 310, pamphlet No. 26.
Votes: by a vote of 4 to 1 with 2 abstentions,
yeas 25, nays 4.
Submit your article!
Read more articles - free!
Read sense of life articles!
E-mail
this article to your colleague!
Need
more translation jobs? Click here!
Translation
agencies are welcome to register here - Free!
Freelance
translators are welcome to register here - Free!
|