English Grammar Rules in Writing Numbers by John Lismo

In the English grammar, writing numbers can become a bit confusing. When should one spell numbers out and when is it okay to use digits to represent them? These and other questions about the use of numbers will be answered in this article. So for those who have been committing mistakes in the department of writing with numbers, this article is here to help you out. Read on and your uncertainties will surely be resolved.

The first rule to remember is that the only numbers you need to spell out are zero to nine. From 10 onwards, it is okay to use digits to represent them. Furthermore, when it comes to bigger numbers, those ending with zero are usually spelled out, but for figures with varying digits, use numerals if doing so would be the shorter way to express them. Then again, if it is necessary for the big numbers to be spelled out, put the comma where you would it would be if it was written in figures and use the word "and" to represent a decimal point. Consistency is another key in the English grammar rules for writing numbers. This means that once you start spelling figures out for the reason that one of them is below a single-digit, then continue doing so. However, if a sentence entails using numbers to show the count of two or more categories, then use words to represent one set and digits for the others. Fractions such as one-half, two-thirds and three-fourths should always be spelled out too, just remember to put hyphens between the numerators and the denominators. For mixed fractions and decimals, on the other hand, using numerals is the usual choice. However, both should be spelled out when either of them begins a sentence.

Then when it comes to the English grammar rules for expressing numbers in dates, the usual practice is to use numerals. Then when conveying decades, it is more common to spell them out, but it is also okay to express them in figures. Just remember that the apostrophe comes before the period you are pertaining to and not between the numerals and the "s". For example, '70s is correct, but 90's is wrong.

As for the English grammar rules in showing the time of day, hours ending with o'clock, quarter, thirty or three-quarters, are usually spelled out. Only those which states exact times are commonly expressed in figures, with the addition of A.M. or P.M. to clarify whether the moment happened in the morning or at night. However, when it comes to differentiating which part of the day the twelve o'clock in question occurred, the words "midnight" and "noon" are used.

These are everything you need to know in order to effectively express numbers in any piece of writing. In summary, single digits are usually spelled out while numbers with two or more figures are more commonly written in numerals. Also, a number is used to begin a sentence, it should always be expressed in words. Remember these and the rest will come naturally.

Go to the official English Grammar website for more grammar lessons, rules, and news for everyday use - http://www.englishgrammar.org/