Numbers in Writing- LEO Topic

     This post will be concerned with numbers in writing: when to spell them out, when to hyphenate them, and when to write them as numbers. 
      I chose this topic because I frequently do not follow these rules for writing numbers. I can never remember when to spell out a number and when to write it out. It is about time that I researched this topic and solidified it into my mind.
      Before I begin, I'd like to state that the information in this post came from         http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/numbers.html . The information is property of its respective owner, and I don't claim any ownership to it. All of the examples were created by me.
      
       I'd like to begin giving examples of when you should spell out numbers rather than just writing the number. 


Spell out a number:

• If a number is at the beginning of a sentence, you should always spell it out. 

               Example: Seven hundred airplanes were made before lunch. 

• If a number is one or two words, you should spell it out. 

               Example: In the book, the author describes how to kick the video game  habit in eleven easy steps.  

• When you want to indicate multiples of a number, you add "s" or "ies" to the end

         If you wanted to talk about the population of turtles in terms of one thousand,  you would say :
               There are thousands of turtles at the beach this afternoon.
         If you wanted to talk about the decade of 1960 as a whole, you would say:
               The sixties were a magical time in United States history. 
     
       Now I'd like to talk about hyphenating when spelling out numbers.


Use a hyphen :

• In between numbers that are two words and under one hundred.

         Example: There are sixty-seven words in the glossary.

• To separate the numerator from the denominator in a written fraction.

         Example: Three-fourths of the class prefers cheeseburgers over hamburgers. 


Now we've covered the cases of when to spell out numbers. Let's now examine when to just write the number.


 Write a number:

• If it requires more than two words.

         Example: Over 200,000 ( in words it would be two hundred thousand, which is more than two words) people died in the Civil War.

• When talking about addresses, dates, and exact times of day.

         Example: I expect to meet Bob at 743 Rockford Drive by 6:23 A.M. on May 2, 2012. 

• If it is an exact measurement followed by abbreviations or symbols, or exact amounts of money.

         Example: Robert received a speeding ticket for going 17 m.p.h. over the speed limit, which will cost him $259.32.

• When using decimals.

         Example: I calculated 3.8 amperes as the final answer.

• When using percentages, scores, or statistics.

         Example: Studies show that 95% of all statistics are made up. On a scale of 1-10, Jessica rated the mongoose a four. 

• When referring to volume, chapter, and page numbers.

         Example: You will find it in Volume I, Chapter 23, page 28.

• When referring to act, scene, and line numbers.

         Example: Start at Act II, Scene 3, line 67.

To Summarize:

      In scientific and mathematical works, figures are usually used.

          In magazines and books of non-scientific interest, the numbers are usually spelled out.

Source: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/numbers.html