Business English Numbers
Although he is only ____________ Mohammad Sigari owns his own restaurant in Salt Lake City.
b. twenty-five Ages that can be expressed in one or two words are generally written in word form; hyphenate compound numbers from 21 through 99 when they are written in word form (twenty-five).
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
b. at least 95 percent of the stockholders
Trulia lists ____________ homes for sale in Santa Fe.
b. eighteen 4-bedroom When numbers appear consecutively, express the first number in words and the second in figures (eighteen 4-bedroom).
In 2016 Peet's Coffee & Tea celebrated its ____________ anniversary.
b. fiftieth Anniversaries that can be expressed in one or two words are generally written in word form (fiftieth).
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
b. for 82 students in three classes
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
b. he is forty-five years old
U.S. Census forms are available in __________ languages.
b. six The numbers one through ten are generally written as words (six).
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
b. four fifths of the voters
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
b. he placed third in the state
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
b. line 3
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
b. only a 3 percent gain
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
b. over the past 30 years
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
b. a decline of 0.5 percent
Ordinal figures are formed by adding st, nd, rd, or th to the figure. Street names that are numbered ten or below are written as ordinal words (First, Second, Third). In street names involving numbers greater than ten, the numeral portion is written in ordinal figure form (11th, 22nd, 33rd, 41st).
201 Third Street 1190 54th Street 2320 West 22nd Street 3261 South 103rd Avenue
Most airlines do not allow carry-on baggage that weighs more than _________________ pounds.
40 Express measures in figures (40 pounds), and spell out pounds when the measurement appears in sentences.
Numbers appearing with symbols are expressed as figures.
67% 99¢ #2 can 2/10, n/60
contain sentences, spell out nouns following numerals in weights and measurements (21 gallons instead of 21 gal.). In business forms or in statistical presentations, however, you may abbreviate weights and measurements.
8′ × 10′ #10 7 oz. 3,500 sq. ft. 2 lb. 12 qt.
Studies have found that _________________ of online shoppers expect free shipping.
a. 71 percent Within sentences percentages are expressed with figures followed by the word percent (71 percent)
Numbers that begin sentences are written as words. If a number involves more than two words, however, the sentence should be rewritten so that the number no longer falls at the beginning and can be written as a figure.
A total of 113 complaints related to social media will be reviewed by the Bureau of Consumer Protection. (Not One hundred thirteen complaints will be reviewed)
Simple fractions are fractions in which both the numerator and denominator are whole numbers. If the simple fraction can be expressed in two words, use word form. If a fraction functions as a noun, no hyphen is used. If it functions as an adjective, a hyphen separates its parts
Almost one half of the data breaches reported last year were in the health care industry. (The fraction is used as a noun; no hyphen is needed. Notice that the preposition of follows the fraction.) A two-thirds majority is needed to pass the school bond measure. (The fraction is used as an adjective; therefore, a hyphen is needed.)
My new plasma TV is identified as having Serial No. ____________.
a. 85056170 Numbers used with words are expressed in figures without commas (Serial No. 85056170).
Ordinal numbers are used to show the position in an ordered sequence. Although ordinal numbers are generally expressed in word form (first, second, third), three exceptions should be noted: (a) figure form is used for dates appearing before a month or appearing alone; (b) figure form is used for street names involving numbers greater than ten; and (c) figure form is used when the ordinal would require more than two words.
Elise Stefanik, 30, was elected to the Twenty-first Congressional District in New York, making her the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Please respond by the 20th of July so that I can make our reservation. (Date appears before the month.) Paychecks are issued on the 1st and the 15th of each month. (Dates appear alone.) Cushman & Wakefield ranked Fifth Avenue in New York City as the most expensive retail street in the world. (Street name involves a number between one and ten.) Our headquarters will move to 3589 23rd Street on the 6th of September. (Street name involves a number greater than ten.)
On the __________ of April, Maryland became the first state to pass legislation that makes it illegal for employers to ask employees and job applicants for their social media user names and passwords.
a. 9th Numbers that appear before the name of a month are written as ordinal figures (9th of April).
It costs the U.S. Census Bureau about __________ per person to administer and process census forms.
b. $42 Sums of money $1 or greater are expressed as figures; omit the decimal and zeros in whole dollar amounts ($42).
Consecutive numbers occur when two numbers appear one after the other, both modifying the same noun (such as ten 49-cent stamps). Express the first number in words and the second in figures. If, however, the first number cannot be expressed in one or two words, place it in figures also (120 49-cent stamps).
Express the first number in words and the second in figures. If, however, the first number cannot be expressed in one or two words, place it in figures also (120 49-cent stamps). Historians divided the era into four 25-year periods. (Use word form for the first number and figure form for the second.) We will need at least 150 60-watt LED bulbs for the office. (Use figure form for the first number because it requires more than two words.)
Figures are used to achieve special emphasis in expressing business concepts such as discount rates, interest rates, contracts, warranty periods, credit terms, loan periods, banking terms, and payment terms.
Honda's basic warranty covers the vehicle for 3 years or 36,000 miles. Pay your invoice within 15 days and receive a 2 percent discount.
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
b. a final score of 2 to 3
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
b. an interest period of 90 days
Sums less than $1 are written as figures that are followed by the word cents. If they are part of related sums greater than $1, use a dollar sign and a decimal instead of the word cents
It costs about 8 cents to produce one nickel and about 1.7 cents to produce one penny. Our monthly petty cash statement showed purchases of $7.13, $.99, $2.80, $1, and $.40. (Related numbers)
Ages and anniversaries that can be expressed in one or two words are generally written in word form. Those that require more than two words are written as figures. Figures are also used when an age (a) appears immediately after a person's name; (b) is expressed in exact years, months, and sometimes days; or (c) is used in a legal or technical sense.
January 26, 2017, marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act. (Use word form for an anniversary expressed in two or fewer words.) Cathy Engelbert, 50, was named the first female CEO of a Big Four accounting firm. (Use figure form for age appearing immediately after a name.) The child was adopted when he was 3 years 8 months and 24 days old. (Use figure form for age expressed in terms of exact years and months. Notice that commas are not used to separate age expressions.)
The New York Stock Exchange is located at __________ Wall Street in New York City.
b. 11 In street names involving numbers greater than ten, the numeral portion is written in ordinal figure form (11 Wall Street).
Use figures to express metric measurements. When including metric measurements in a sentence, spell out the units of measure (5 kilometers, 1.75 liters). Weights and measurements, including temperatures, are expressed as figures. When one weight or measure consists of several words treated as a single unit (3 feet 4 inches)
My new iPhone 6 Plus measures 6.2 by 3.06 by 0.28 inches and weighs 6.07 ounces. Your nonstop flight from Cincinnati to Detroit will take 1 hour 11 minutes. The truck required 21 gallons of gasoline and 2 quarts of oil to travel 250 miles.
Related numbers are those used similarly in the same sentence. They should be expressed as the largest number is expressed. Thus, if the largest number is greater than ten, all the numbers should be expressed as figures.
Only 4 employees out of 115 missed the new CEO's keynote address. (Both numbers count employees.) Of the 98 e-mail messages Casey received today, 19 were marked "Urgent" and 7 were marked "Confidential." (All three numbers count e-mail messages.) We ordered 15 pizzas, 12 salads, and 4 cakes for the employee luncheon. (Note that items appearing in a series are always considered to be related.)
The word number is capitalized and abbreviated when it precedes a number. However, if the word number begins a sentence, do not abbreviate it. In addition, if the word number does not precede a number, do not abbreviate it.
Please pay these invoices: Nos. 4857, 4858, and 4859. Number 348 submitted the winning bid.
Writing numbers
Rule of Ten: Words for one through ten; figures for 11 and above. The numbers one through ten are generally written as words. Numbers above ten are written as figures.
Hyphenating Numbers Compound numbers from 21 through 99 are hyphenated when they are written in word form.
Seventy-four people applied
even clock hours can be used with the word o'clock. When using this format, either figures or words may be used. Note that phrases such as in the morning, or each afternoon, or at night may follow clock time expressed with o'clock but not with time expressed with a.m. and p.m.
UPS delivers packages to our office by ten (or 10) o'clock each morning. The freeway is backed up as early as three (or 3) in the afternoon on weekdays.
amounts of money from different countries are used in the same sentence, table, or list, place the appropriate currency abbreviation or symbol before the numerical amount.
The US$10,000 item will cost £6,585 in Great Britain. (U.S. dollars and British pounds) The Thomases will take the following amounts of money with them on their trip to Asia: US$1,000 (U.S. dollars) ¥81,000 (Japanese yen) CNY¥6,300 (Chinese yuan) HKD$7,700 (Hong Kong dollars)
We plan to meet again at __________ Friday.
b. 11 a.m Figures are used when clock time is expressed with a.m.; omit the colon and zeros with even clock time (11 a.m.).
Jon Stewart left The Daily Show after hosting it for over ____________.
b. 16 years Periods of time above ten are generally written as figures (16).
ercentages in sentences are expressed with figures followed by the word percent. The percent sign (%) is used only on business forms or in statistical presentations.
The highest one-day percentage drop for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 22.61 percent on October 19, 1987, a day known as Black Monday. Although women hold 52 percent of all professional jobs, they hold just 5.2 percent of Fortune 500 CEO roles.
use figures to express academic grades, scores on tests or of sporting events, and voting results.
The highest scoring game in baseball history occurred in 1922 when the Chicago White Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies 26 to 23. A 5-to-4 Supreme Court decision said that the government cannot ban political spending by corporations.
Periods of time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years) are treated as any other general number. That is, numbers ten and below are written in word form. Numbers above ten are written in figure form.
The longest strike in U.S. history lasted 3,636 days, or almost ten years.
Send the letter to __________
a. 320 27th Street In street names involving numbers greater than ten, the numeral portion is written in ordinal figure form (320 27th Street).
clock time is expressed with a.m., p.m., noon, or midnight. Omit the colon and zeros with even clock hours (those without minutes),
The silent auction opens at 6:30 p.m., and bids may be placed until 12 midnight.
Round numbers are approximations. They may be expressed in word or figure form, although figure form is shorter and easier to comprehend.round numbers in the millions, billions, and trillions should be expressed with a combination of figures and words. If one million is used as an approximation, use all word form; otherwise, write this number using figures and words (1 million). Use a combination of figures and words for all other numbers.
The world population is approximately 7.3 billion, with almost 1.4 billion living in China. Facebook now has more than 1.4 billion active users, compared with 288 million active Twitter users.
Decimals are expressed with figures. If a decimal does not contain a whole number before the decimal point or does not begin with a zero, a zero should be placed before the decimal.
The world's smallest winged insect is the Tanzanian parasitic wasp, which has a wingspan of 0.2 millimeters. (Place a zero before a decimal that does not contain a whole number or begin with a zero.) The world's smallest insect is the fairyfly, which has an average length of .020 to .039 inches. (Do not place a zero before a decimal that begins with zero and contains no whole number.)
Your short-term loan covers a period of ____________ days.
a. 60 Figures are used to achieve special emphasis in expressing business concepts such as loan periods (60 days).
In dates, numbers that appear after the name of a month are written as cardinal figures (1, 2, 3, etc.). Those that stand alone or appear before the name of a month are written as ordinal figures (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
Those that stand alone or appear before the name of a month are written as ordinal figures (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
Unrelated numbers within the same sentence are written as words or figures
Twenty-three contract changes will be discussed by 89 employees working in eight departments. (The three numbers count three different items: contract changes, employees, departments.)
Have you completed your IRS Form ____________?
a. 7 Express related numbers (235, 7) as the largest number is expressed.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
We hired 21 temporary workers during the Christmas season.
Of the 235 e-mail messages sent, only ____________ bounced back.
a. 7 Express related numbers (235, 7) as the largest number is expressed.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
a. Although the temperature was 65 degrees Fahrenheit, we still needed a jacket.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
a. Your grades are available online 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
a. The latest economic figures indicate that the unemployment rate is currently 6 percent.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
a. When we printed the report, we noticed that 8 pages of the 145 pages did not include the correct footer.
AIG lost ____________ in just 92 days.
a. $62 billion
Maintenance costs are only _________________ percent above last year's.
a. 0.5 If a decimal does not contain a whole number before the decimal point or does not begin with a zero, a zero should be placed before the decimal (0.5).
UPS ranks _________________ on Forbes list of the world's biggest public companies.
a. 160th When an ordinal requires more than two words, write it in figure form (160th).
The highest score in an NBA basketball game occurred in 1983 when the Detroit Pistons beat the Denver Nuggets by a score of _________________.
a. 186 to 184 Always use figures to express scores (186 to 184).
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
a. Lois Lamb, 65, and John Lamb, 66
Many financial institutions are clustered on __________ Avenue in New York City.
a. Seventh Street names that are numbered ten or below are written as ordinal words (Seventh Avenue).
The size of carry-on baggage on United Airlines flights should not exceed _________________ including handles and wheels.
b. 22 by 14 by 9 inches Express measures in figures (22 by 14 by 9 inches), and spell out inches when the measurement appears in sentences.
Representatives from the __________ European Union countries attended a joint meeting.
b. 28 Numbers above ten are generally written as figures (28).
Australia's housing boom has resulted in the popularity of "granny flats," which average _________________ square feet.
b. 433 Express measures in figures (433 square feet), and spell out square feet when the measurement appears in sentences.
The average number of people living in each U.S. congressional district is __________
b. 710,767 Include commas in all figures that have more than three digits (710,767).
Your flight to Milwaukee will depart from ____________.
b. Gate 7 Numbers used with words are expressed in figures (Gate 7).
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
a. a 5-pound box of candy
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
a. a one-half share
California's economy is the _________________ largest in the world.
a. eighth Ordinals are generally expressed in word form (eighth).
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
a. fifteen 50-page pamphlets
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
a. in the nineteenth century
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
a. nearly 2.6 billion units
RadioShack declared bankruptcy and announced that it would sell more than _________________ of its remaining stores.
a. one half If a simple fraction can be expressed in two words, use word form (one half); do not hyphenate the fraction when it functions as a noun.
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
a. the child is 2 years 4 months old
Assume that the following phrase appears in a complete sentence. Choose the letter of the phrase that is appropriately expressed.
a. the tank holds just 9 gallons
Choose the letter of the correctly expressed group of words.
a. two 35-day contracts
Surprising pollsters, Senator Williams received a _________________ majority.
a. two-thirds If a simple fraction can be expressed in two words, use word form (two-thirds); hyphenate the fraction when it functions as an adjective.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
b. My new Nike running shoes weigh only 11.4 ounces.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
b. Alicia paid $300 for the security deposit on her apartment.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
b. Eight of the applicants for the new position had the necessary qualifications.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. More than one half of the voters did not vote in the last election.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. The planning meeting scheduled for November 1 has been postponed.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. Despite 25 decades of democracy, America continues to experience some election problems.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. The new rankings that were published on the 15th of this month indicated that Mitchel was now the 120th top American amateur golfer.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. To print the new flowchart, we needed legal paper measuring 8 by 14 inches.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. Our company will be celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary in June.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. The accident at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 11th Street caused traffic to be rerouted.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. We will need thirty 49-cent stamps to mail the thank-you notes.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. Andrew stored his research files on one 3-gigabyte drive.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
c. Your product was shipped at 4 o'clock this afternoon.
__________ call centers in India announced that they will be switching from customer service to mortgage processing.
c. Twenty-three Numbers that begin sentences are written as words; in addition, compound numbers from 21 through 99 are hyphenated when written in word form (Twenty-three).
Sums of money $1 or greater are expressed as figures. If a sum is a whole dollar amount, most writers omit the decimal and zeros
include commas in monetary figures $1,000 or greater. Use the dollar sign ($) instead of the word dollars, and do not add a space between the currency symbol and the figure. Many large U.S. airlines now charge $25 to check one bag, $35 to check a second bag, and $100 to check a third bag. This statement shows purchases of $7.13, $10, $43.50, $90, and $262.78. A ticket in 1912 for a first-class parlor suite on the Titanic cost $4,350 (about $232,000 today).
we say "October first," we write October 1. In dates, numbers that appear after the name of a month are written as cardinal figures (1, 2, 3, etc.). Those that stand alone or appear before the name of a month are written as ordinal figures (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
we write October 1.
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
Although the product was advertised for $289, the final price, which included shipping and handling, was $357.24..
Which sentence expresses numbers correctly?
Because Mariah turned twenty-one yesterday, her friends treated her to a special dinner.