Numbers

Cardinal Numbers
Spell out figures from one through ninety-nine except in scientific matter dealing with physical quantity or when speaking of academic credit or course numbers. Always use figures with percent.

one course

two sequences

three terms

two semesters


but: 
1.5 milliliters

3 credits

HIST 101

5 percent

Write numbers 100 and higher as numerals.

There were more than 700 students in GEOL 102 last term.

Write out numbers at the beginning of a sentence, or rewrite the sentence so that it doesn't begin with a number.

Seventeen thousand students registered for winter-term classes.


The winter-term enrollment was 17,000 students.

Dates
Don't use a comma in dates giving only the month and year.

January 1995

Use two commas to set off the year in dates giving the month, day, and year.

Does July 5, 1909, ring a bell?

Use an en-dash instead of a hyphen between the first and second number to denote inclusive dates. When the century or the millenium changes, all the digits are repeated.

The 1999–2000 catalog is for sale at the bookstore.


This course isn't offered in 2000–2001.

When writing inclusive dates between 2001 and 2009, don't include the 0 after the en-dash.

The professor will be on leave during 2003–4.

Except in formal invitations, use cardinal rather than ordinal numbers for the date.

The ceremony is scheduled for October 16, 2001.


but: 
You are cordially invited to attend
the Inauguration of
the President of the United States
on the Sixteenth of January
Two thousand and one.

In general, don't use on with a date or day. Occasionally you need to include on to avoid confusion.

Commencement will be Saturday, June 12.


but: 
He performed in 1776 on August 12, 2002.

Enumeration
Items can be enumerated in lists by using numbers followed by periods. See also Parentheses, under Punctuation, for enumeration within a text.

1. Be brief

2. Be clear

3. Be prompt

4. Be ready

Full-Time Equivalent
Enrollment and employment statistics are often stated in terms of full-time equivalents (FTE). Use only one digit after the decimal point.

1.0 FTE is full time


0.5 FTE is half time

Grade Point Average
Carry grade point averages to two digits after the decimal.

2.50 (not 2.5)


4.00 (not 4.0)

Money
Use figures for fractional amounts over one dollar. Use zeros after the decimal point for whole-dollar amounts only when they appear in the same context with fractional amounts.

The ticket prices are $5.00 for general admission, $3.50 for students and senior citizens.


$7.95

$2

$10

$579

$4,020

$100,000

$1.5 million

In tables, use one format—either with or without decimals—consistently. Use a label (e.g., Dollars) to avoid repeating the same symbol (e.g., $) over and over.

More than, Fewer than
Don't use over or under when referring to numbers; use more than or fewer than. Over and under refer to spatial relationships. More than and fewer than refer to quantity or to units you can count. But see also less or fewer and over or more than under Troublesome Terms.

More than 16,000 students received the letters.


Fewer than a dozen students received the letters.

Ordinal Numbers
Unless space is too limited, spell out ordinal numbers. Ordinal numbers are never spelled out in the UO catalog.

one thousandth


eighteenth-century literature

Percent
Percent is one word. Always use figures with it. Use decimals, not fractions. The % symbol may be used in scientific data or tables.

8.25 percent (not 8-1/4 percent)

Telephone and Facsimile Numbers
In your writing, tailor telephone numbers to your audience. Every phone number on the University of Oregon telephone system begins with area code (541) followed by the three-digit prefix 346-, then four additional digits. On-campus phone calls require five digits (6 + last four digits). The same principles apply to facsimile (fax) numbers.

5396 (to an on-campus colleague)


6-5396 (to another state-system employee)

For publications sent off campus, put the area code in parentheses followed by the entire seven-digit number.

(541) 346-5396 (not 541-346-5396)


(800) 232-3825 (not 800.232.3825)

>>Back to Contents