Numbers: Nine rules to write by

By Dick Thien
Chips Quinn Writing Coach

1. As a general rule, use figures for amounts of 10 and above and spell out amounts from zero through nine.
EXAMPLES: He said 10 men died.
She said only nine died.

The above rule has dozens of exceptions, as detailed under "numerals" in The Associated Press Stylebook. You will be responsible for choosing the right form, but not for memorizing all the possibilities. But you are to memorize the following group.

2. When a number starts a sentence, spell it out.
EXAMPLE: Fifty is my lucky number.

3. Use figures for ages.
EXAMPLE: Johnny Marks, 3, was injured.

4. Use figures for percentages.
EXAMPLE: Profits dropped 3 percent (note also that percent is one word).

5. Use figures for temperatures.
EXAMPLE: The temperature dropped 3 degrees.

6. Use figures for dollars and cents.
EXAMPLES: $6 5 cents

7. For specific dollar amounts, use the $ sign.
EXAMPLES: $3 $5.24

8. When dealing in cents only, spell out the word cents.
EXAMPLE: 50 cents

9. Handle figures as follows:

• one
• 10
• 100
• 1,000 (note use of the comma)
• 100,000
• 1,545,000

If appropriate, you may round off figures in the millions or above.
EXAMPLE: The city issued $2.25 million in revenue bonds. (Note that the dollar sign is used, rather than the word dollars.)

TRICKY PAIRS

Roll and Role

Carelessness causes the mixing of these two words. Role refers to playing a part. Roll is what ships and balls do, what you eat, what is called to determine who is and is not present, and what is done to infield tarpaulins after the rain stops.

Loose and Lose

Again, carelessness creates mix ups with these two words. Loose means the opposite of tight; lose means the opposite of win.

USAGE TRICKS AND TRAPS

Like and As

To stay on the good side of purist editors, you should know that tradition denies to "like" a role as a conjunction. Even those who defend like as a conjunction concede that its use will spur criticism among readers (or, more particularly, editors).

The rule, then: If the word is followed by a group of words containing a subject and verb, you should use the conjunctions "as," "as if" or "as though." If the word is simply followed by a noun, then "like," as a preposition, is the appropriate choice.

NOT: Business does not operate now like it did 39 years ago.

BUT: Business does not operate now as it did 30 years ago.

NOT: She smelled as a rose.

BUT: She smelled like a rose.

Caution: Like is too useful a word to avoid out of fear of misusing it. In addition the incorrect use of "as" for "like" has a half-educated sound, like the improper use of whom for who.

False Intensifiers, Needless Adjectives

• Completely destroyed (the adverb is redundant; the same holds true for leveled and demolished)
• Rather unique (if something is not unique - that is, one of a kind - then it is rare.)
• Past history (the adjective is redundant; ditto past experience)
• Future plans (the adjective is redundant)
• Different people, different varieties, etc. (no one can be two people and no thing can be two varieties)

SPELLING WORDS

surprise
under way (two words)

About the column

Write It Right is updated regularly. Have a suggestion for a future column, contact Dick Thien.

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