Questions tagged [numbers]
Questions relating to the use of numbers or numerals in English.
504
questions
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1answer
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Mono is 1, Stereo is 2, what is 3?
Cellphone cameras have moved from a single lens to a dual lens arrangement in recent years and the next iPhone is rumored to have three. There's "Monoscopic" vision, "Stereoscopic" vision, but what's ...
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0answers
26 views
Can the article “a” always be used in place of the number one when making compound adjectives or adjectival nouns? [on hold]
If I had two million, I’m a two-millionaire.
If I had one million, I’m a one-millionaire.
If I had a million, am I an a-millionaire?
On a slightly similar topic: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/hyphen-...
2
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2answers
97 views
Is there a name for numeric bias?
In the national lottery 6 balls are drawn with numbers 1 to 49 on them. My father could never believe that the numbers 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 had exactly the same odds to come out as any other set of six you ...
0
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0answers
37 views
Two hundredths / two one-hundredths of a second
For me it was always natural to say just two hundredths or seven hundredths, but I've come across the usage of ‘/number/ one-hundredths’ watching British Eurosport and CBC channel. Commentators there ...
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0answers
41 views
punctuation: the 20 to 30 year old age group
I'd like to know how "the 20 to 30 year old age group" is punctuated in standard English.
"30-year-old" should be hyphenated. What about "20 to 30"?
Any principles at work?
I'd appreciate your help.
2
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4answers
171 views
Is there a word for words like “dozen”, “score”, “gross” that refer to specific cardinal numbers?
I'd like to know whether the words that describe numerical quantities have a name to describe them as a group.
This would be similar to how onomatopoeia is a word to describe a group of words that ...
2
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0answers
104 views
“Sixty tray, all day” — what does that mean?
I've stumbled upon a very peculiar phrase in a comic I'm currently reading; here's the screenshot.
As can be seen, just before exiting the train some gangsta guy quips "Sixty tray, all day" to a ...
7
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3answers
2k views
How to write numbers and percentage?
In the sentence –
Auditors recommend an increase of the allowance for bad debts by ten %.
– should the percent sign be there or should the word percent be spelled out. Also should the number be ...
0
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1answer
52 views
What is the correct way to express a number with all its digits?
I have the following table:
On the last column, I have expressed the numbers in billions as it is mentioned at the top. However, I want the last number (Final sample size) to be expressed fully. Is ...
0
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0answers
12 views
When to write numbers in digit and in words in a sentence [duplicate]
I've always had this problem of getting a little confuse when to write numbers in digits and when to write numbers in words.
Which is more appropriate?
10 teachers attended the meeting.
or
Ten ...
1
vote
2answers
58 views
How to properly use numbers in text (special case)? [closed]
I'm writing a scientific thesis about my program. I want to write the number of responses of a questionnaire that I have developed but I don't know what is the best in this case.
Example 1:
"We ...
29
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4answers
5k views
Why are two-digit numbers in Jonathan Swift's “Gulliver's Travels” (1726) written in “German style”?
I have been reading "Gulliver's Travels" (Otherwise known more verbosely as "Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of ...
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2answers
65 views
Is there an equivalent to a 'quarter' for twelfths?
I've heard of quintants, septants, octants, and quandrants, but I can't find a word for a sector of a twelfths. Any ideas?
0
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1answer
32 views
Plus sign before or after hyphenated word
Let's say there's a set of buildings with differing numbers of units in each. I would like to describe them as two or more unit buildings. Writing it out with the number, would I write "2+-unit ...
5
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2answers
193 views
Were days ever written as ordinal numbers when writing day-month-year?
I know that the day is written as a cardinal number (1, 2, 3) and not an ordinal number (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in the day-month-year and the month-day formats. But was there ever a time when ordinal numbers ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
Is there a name for all numbers different than zero?
The names for the number 0 include "zero", "cipher", "null", "naught", "nought", "love", "duck", "nil", "nada", "zilch", "zip", "o", "aught", and "ought". There are various subtleties of usage amongst ...
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0answers
25 views
What we should write in roman for ordinal numbers? [duplicate]
As we write 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th what we should write in roman for the same way?
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0answers
16 views
How to ask about something which of the first, the second, the third. etc the thing is? [duplicate]
I know the question itself sounds strange but I cannot think of a better wording. I will provide two examples below:
(1) 13 is the sixth smallest prime number; how would I ask someone about 13 so ...
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0answers
16 views
Plural vs Singular when the number 1 is represented in integer vs decimal form [duplicate]
If I have a noun of cardinality 1, I am taught that I use the singular form.
E.g. I have 1 Apple
If the value is still 1, but represented as 1.0, do I still use the singular form?
E.g. I have 1.0 ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
When to use 'the amount of' and not e.g. 'increase physical exercise' / 'increase the amount of physical exercise'?
When do you need to use the number of or the amount of with a noun? For example,
"If people go to gyms more, they will increase their physical activity."
OR
"If people go to gyms more, they ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
What term predated “even” when referring to numbers?
Had this posted on the Linguistics stackexchange, and was pointed here as a more appropriate spot to ask.
In doing some poking around in etymologies, I noticed that while "odd" in the sense of "odd ...
0
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1answer
42 views
Hundreds of times higher?
Is it correct to use the expression "hundreds of times higher" when the difference is 3.08 - 3.85 times higher?
This is coming from Twitter, someone said that there was an increase of "hundreds of ...
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vote
1answer
131 views
Why are there are so many words for “zero”?
Null, nil and naught are all synonyms of zero, and to my knowledge, zero is the only number that has this many cognitive synonyms, if not more. Why is this?
Does it have to do with English being ...
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2answers
93 views
How to write numbers concerning physical quantities?
Is there a rule specifying how one should separate thousands in numbers? Should I put a comma in this phrase, “500–1500 ohms”, so it would become “500–1,500 ohms”? If so why?
0
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1answer
78 views
Apostrophe Use In Abbreviated Decade Which Is Also A Possessive
I always put apostrophes before abbreviated decades. Ex: The '60s.
However, what if you want to abbreviate a decade that is also possessive of the word that comes after it? Ex: Classic dance genres ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
Measurements - how they should be written in a list
Which is correct?
a. Images were obtained at a distance of 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 mm from the bottom of the plate.
b. Images were obtained at a distance of 4 mm, 8 mm, 12 mm, 16 mm and 20 mm from the ...
0
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1answer
57 views
Is this an acceptable way of writing the count of items in a sentence?
My father served in the logistics branch of Indian armed forces and he had a very particular style of representing the number of items of a certain object. For example, he would use this sentence:
...
2
votes
1answer
40 views
Beginning list items with numerals
Most well-known style guides dictate that numbers should always be spelled out at the beginning of a sentence (Forty-seven percent of people...), even to the point of recommending rewriting to avoid ...
1
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1answer
223 views
How do ordinal suffixes work with mathematical constants and other non-Arabic numbers?
This question was inspired by a tweet from the FakeUnicode Twitter account, a semi-novelty account sharing various examples in the wild of bugs, glitches and other unintended results from improperly ...
2
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1answer
53 views
“The number of steps is infinite” or “The number of steps is infinity”? [closed]
In a mathematical paper about random-walks. Which is more correct: "The number of steps in the random-walk is infinite" or "The number of steps in the random-walk is infinity"?
3
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3answers
213 views
How do you pronounce “103rd”?
The number 103 can be pronounced as “One hundred and three” or “One o three”.
Can “103rd” be pronounced as “One hundred and third” or “One o third?” (Especially in referring to a name of a street, ...
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2answers
175 views
What would be the correct way of writing 10⁻³⁶ second into words?
I tried Google, and I couldn't find the answer, so I have to have ask this question here. Is this correct?
one millionth of a billionth of a trillionth of a second.
I can write one 'undecillionth' ...
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7answers
5k views
Can I say eight-gon, nine-gon and ten-gon instead of octa-, nona-, and deca-gon?
As a non-native English speaker I struggle with Greek prefixes. Am I allowed to use just normal English numbers in place of them? Is it natural? Or do I have to learn how those Greek prefixes work at ...
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3answers
231 views
How would you say “0.4 - 1g?”
Assuming I don't want to say "zero point four grams to one gram," would it be:
"zero point four to one gram"
or
"zero point four to one grams"
or neither?
I'm leaning towards the second one ...
2
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1answer
27 views
Are Only + Number Adjectives?
In the sentence "Only eight apples grew on the tree." Are both "only" and "eight" adjectives?
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3answers
125 views
Term for a “unit-ed” (versus “unitless”) quantity
What is a term for the class of measured quantities that have a unit, as distinct from those that are unitless?
This term describes any quantity with a unit:
5.3 seconds
$0.00
−17.28 metres
4½ ...
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5answers
1k views
How infrequent is “a non-zero chance”?
I misinterpreted the expression “a non-zero chance” as an emphatic way to stress that there was no possibility or likelihood of something happening.
there is a non-zero chance that they will pay ...
5
votes
1answer
285 views
Use of degree symbol for Latinate ordinal number shorthand
I remember often having professors in college use degree symbols to write shorthand versions of Latinate ordinal numbers.
For example:
1° Primary
2° Secondary
3° Tertiary
4° Quaternary
...
0
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2answers
94 views
numbering from up to down
I want to translate a sentence from Persian to English, the sentence I want to say is "the children should tell numbers from up to down and conversely" but I am not sure does it correct?
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3answers
110 views
Should you use a comma after a number that falls at the end of a clause, even if the number has commas in it (ex: 1,000,000)?
For example, in the sentence
The cost is anticipated to be $1,000,000, inclusive of pre-construction costs.
is it appropriate to use a comma after $1,000,000 or should a semicolon be used?
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1answer
565 views
How to read Figure xx.x or Section xx.x
I wonder that whether there is a special reading way pertaining to American or British.
For example,
Figure 12.3 shows a paused video touched on in Section 2.10 with the
width, height, and ...
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11answers
12k views
When did “a buck” start being used to mean a unit of 100? (E.g. “a buck fifty” for 150 lbs.)
Before you answer, please note: I'm only interested in when this usage was established in common (American) parlance. I know what the term means and I don't need it defined, nor do I require an ...
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2answers
842 views
Has “N times less” become commonplace? [duplicate]
I've heard more and more people saying "A is N times less than B" in many contexts. I even saw in a news journal (forgot whether it was Time or Newsweek), "The object was 3 times closer than the ...
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1answer
1k views
Why does “No” mean “Number?” [duplicate]
I frequently see the abbreviation "No" to mean "Number" (or "Nos" to mean "Numbers") instead of the much more common meaning of the word (a negative statement or denial). Sources cited here say it's ...
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0answers
208 views
Why does “zero of one qualifications” sound better than “zero of one qualification” even though you only have one qualification? [closed]
Of the two phrases:
zero of one qualification
zero of one qualifications
Because one is singular, it should be qualification without the plural suffix ‑s. But for reasons I cannot explain, to me ...
2
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2answers
2k views
“Numbers” or “number?” Which sentence is correct?
Which sentence is correct? Why?
In 2000, the number of Vietnamese students studied in Russia and France was around 3 million and 3.5 million respectively.
In 2000, the numbers of Vietnamese students ...
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2answers
44 views
Should the word before a numeral be capitalized
If you type out week 1 or top 25 matchup, would the word before the numeral be capitalised?
2
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1answer
769 views
How to speak the line number? [closed]
What is the most common way to identify a particular line of code in a talk or lecture?
On the seventeenth line of this code"
On the line seventeen of this code"
On the line number seventeen of this ...
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0answers
30 views
Numeration in policies [closed]
Is numeration in policies obligatory or optional?
I create different policies as per GDPR for internal use and have an idea to skip the numeration because of redundancy, can I do this?
I know, it ...
2
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2answers
109 views
Is there a standard way to read “30+”?
I have just come across the following sentence:
Our team has cataloged 30+ [design patterns] across various areas of the framework so far.
I have often seen the pattern "number + plus sign" to ...
