Writing Numbers as Words
Is it necessary to put a numeral in parentheses after you have already written the number in words?
Example: We will need two (2) chairs.
Conversely, is it necessary to write the number in words after you have already used the numeral?
Example: We will need 200 (two hundred) chairs.
If your document is dense, has a lot of numbers, or contains large numbers, the numerical form helps your readers scan information quickly. Conversely, while we may make a typo with only a numeral, we are almost guaranteed accuracy by writing the number in word format. So using a combination of numerals and written number format can be useful without being redundant.
July 22, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Thanks for this — the rules of usage around numbers in parentheses has always flummoxed me.
Martin
July 22, 2008 at 3:59 pm
You’re welcome, Martin.
March 18, 2009 at 11:44 am
When writing about Leonardo da Vinci and you want to start the sentence with da Vinci, do you capatalize the d in da? Also, if it’s in a presentation used in headings, what do you do?
March 18, 2009 at 7:45 pm
I believe that you should always capitalize at the beginning of a sentence, even when the person’s name, like da Vinci, does not begin with a capital letter.
March 20, 2009 at 9:29 pm
When a proper name containing a particle begins a sentence, you can capitalize the particle. You can also capitalize it when it’s part of a title, as in The Da Vinci Code.