Post on 14-Dec-2015
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Numbers & Numbers & numeralsnumerals
Lessons for copyeditors
By Jeff South
VCU School of Mass Communications
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In general:In general: Spell out whole numbers below 10. Use numerals (figures)
for 10 and above. This applies to ordinal numbers,
too:first, second, third, 10th, 22nd, 100th
...
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Examples:Examples: They had 10 dogs, six cats and 97
fish. We saw 12 cities in four days. That’s the third test this week. She finished 15th in the class.
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Now you try!Now you try! I bought (9/nine) books. I bought nine books. She caught (24/twenty-four) catfish. She caught 24 catfish. On his (2nd/second) try, he won
the election. On his second try, he won
the election.
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But there are But there are exceptionsexceptions Addresses Ages Aircraft Dates Highways Money
No. 1... Percentages Speeds Sports Temperatures Times
And dimensions
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Use numbers for:Use numbers for: House numbers in addresses
901 W. Main St.5 Oakland Ave.18 E. Broad St.
AgesSmith, 23, …… 3-year-old Bobby …… 6-month-old puppy
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Use numbers for:Use numbers for: Aircraft, spacecraft
B-1 bomberApollo 15Boeing 747
DatesSept. 6May 12Dec. 25
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Use numbers for:Use numbers for: Highway designations
Interstate 95U.S. Highway 250Route 1A
Monetary units$75 cents$412 billion
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Use numbers for:Use numbers for: No.
Virginia Tech is ranked No. 1 ...The No. 2 team is ...The United States was No. 3 ...
Percentages1 percent45 percent0.4 percent
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Use numbers for:Use numbers for: Speeds
5 mph100 mph50 knots
SportsThey lost, 3-2.He caught a 9-yard pass.… 5 under par
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Use numbers for:Use numbers for: Temperatures
5 degrees above zeroin the 80s9 degrees below zero
Timesat 6 a.m.after 11:20 p.m.But: noon, midnight
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Now you try!Now you try! They live at (9/Nine) Grace St. They live at 9 Grace St. She is (7/seven) years old. She is 7 years old. The (F-4/F-Four) crashed. The F-4 crashed. The meeting will be on May (6/Six/6th). The meeting will be on May 6.
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Now you try!Now you try! Take U.S. (1/One). Take U.S. 1. It costs (10/ten) cents. It costs 10 cents. They are ranked No. (1/One). They are ranked No. 1.
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Now you try!Now you try! Less than (1/one) percent Less than 1 percent It was going (20/twenty) mph. It was going 20 mph. The Mets lost, (5-4, five-four, five to four). The Mets lost, 5-4. It was (8/eight) degrees. It was 8 degrees.
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Now you try!Now you try! At (8/eight) a.m. At 8 a.m. The record was minus (12/twelve)
degrees, set at (3/three) a.m. on Jan. (4/4th/Fourth).
The record was minus 12 degrees, set at 3 a.m. on Jan. 4.
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DimensionsDimensions Use figures and spell out
inches, feet, yards, etc. He is 5 feet 6 inches tall The 6-foot-3-inch man … The car is 12 feet long and 5 feet
wide. The 9-by-12 rug The storm left 4 inches of snow.
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Ordinal numbersOrdinal numbers Political designations
7th Congressional District3rd Ward12th House District
Court system4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals10th District Court
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Ordinal numbersOrdinal numbers Military titles and organizations
the 5th BattalionFor 2nd Lt. Bill Turnerthe 101st Infantry
Street namesFirst Street … Ninth Street10th Street, 11th Street, 22nd Street9 Second Ave., 440 45th St., 56 E. 21st St.
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Now you try!Now you try! She lives at seven twenty-ninth St. She lives at 7 29th St. A candidate in the 7th House District
… A candidate in the 7th House District
… The Fifth U.S. District Court The 5th U.S. District Court
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Now you try!Now you try! The U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry The U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry … to Second Lt. Emma Wyatt. … to 2nd Lt. Emma Wyatt. The building at 100 North First
Avenue The building at 100 N. First Ave.
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Write out numbers:Write out numbers: Beginning a sentence
Twelve students were arrested. Numbers under 10 (unless covered
by a previous rule)She bought seven books and two pens.
FractionsTwo-thirds, one-fourth, a fifth ...
Casual numbersIt’s happened a million times.
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Recast sentencesRecast sentences Don’t write:
Fifteen semester hours is the limit. Instead, write:
The limit is 15 semester hours.
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Now you tryNow you try They live on (9th/Ninth) Street. They live on Ninth Street. The (1st/First) Amendment The First Amendment I have (3/three) cats. I have three cats.
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Now you tryNow you try About (2/3 or two-thirds) of the
students voted in the election. About two-thirds of the students
voted in the election. He had (a dozen/12) reasons for
missing class. He had a dozen reasons for
missing class.
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Now you tryNow you try 15th Street is closed,
but 14th Street is open. Fifteenth Street is closed,
but 14th Street is open. More than 3/4ths of the voters
support the 1st Amendment. More than three-fourths of the
voterssupport the First Amendment.
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Now you tryNow you try We have 1,000,000 reasons
to be thankful. We have a million reasons
to be thankful. The ambulances took 7 people to the
hospital, and three needed surgery. The ambulances took seven people
to the hospital, and three needed surgery.
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Roman numeralsRoman numerals Individuals
William Hearst III Wars
World War I, World War II Popes & kings
Henry VIIIPope Paul XI
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Now you try!Now you try! King George 6 King George VI World War 1 ended in 1918, and
World War 2 ended in 1945. World War I ended in 1918, and
World War II ended in 1945.