Grammar Day: Writing Numbers

Grammar is a tricky subject. With all the rules and exceptions, how can a person keep track? I can't answer that, but I can help with little pieces here and there.

Today's Topic: Writing Numbers

Basic Rule: If the number is twenty or under, it's spelled out.

One...six...twelve...fifteen.

If it's 21 or above, it's written in number form.

Any Exceptions? Yes. When there are two or more numbers in the same sentence, the formats should match.

There were 3 girls and 29 boys.

The party had only two bottles of pop, but one hundred and ten bags of chips.

Final Note: In the exceptions, it is your choice to spell out or to use the number form. Since larger numbers are easier to read (and write!) in the number form, I recommend this for numbers over 100.

1,293

vs.

One thousand, two hundred, ninety-three.

Still, it's up to you.

I love to learn; let me know what I'm forgetting!

Have a grammatical question? Email me at Jansina@rivershorebooks.com to learn the answer--and have your question featured in an upcoming Grammar Day post! I'm here to help and encourage in any way I can.

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