Never use both the numeral and the word. Use the following rules for determining whether to use the numeral (5) or the word (five).
Rules
- If the number is nine or less, use the word.
- If the number is 10 or greater, then use the numeral.
However, there are two exceptions to these rules.
- The word is always used if the number is the first word of a sentence.
- Use all numerals if a number 9 or less is in the same sentence as a word 10 or higher.
Examples
- There were six girls in the sample.
- There were 36 boys in the sample.
- Twelve research assistants helped administer the questionnaire.
- There were 4 boys and 12 girls in the sample.
- One hundred twenty-three children were in the treatment group.
- As you can see in the table, 63% of the participants returned the questionnaire.
- Children read 26 books throughout the treatment.
- Seventy-three percent of the sample were under the age of 12.
Practice
For the following sentences, pick whether the word or numeral should be used.
- This study included (seventy-two, 72) participants.
- Because of unreadable responses, (four, 4) questionnaires were unusable.
- There were (seventeen, 17) teachers in the control group.
- (Fifty-four, 54) students were observed.
- Participants included (fifteen, 15) children in JS1, (nine, 9) children in JS2, and (two, 2) children in JS3.
- There were (three, 3) treatment groups.
- The average score of the class was (sixty-two percent, 62%).
- (Nineteen, 19) children were randomly selected.
Answers
- 72 because the number is greater than nine.
- four because the number is nine or less.
- 17 because the number is greater than nine.
- Fifty-four because it is the first word of the sentence.
- 15, 9, 2 because one of the numbers is greater than nine.
- three because the number is nine or less.
- 62% because the number is greater than nine.
- Nineteen because it is the first word of the sentence.
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