Can You Use Numbers In Academic Writing?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can you use numbers in academic writing?

Numbers can be written either as words (e.g., one hundred) or (e.g., 100)

. In this article we follow the guidelines of APA Style, one of the most common style guides used in academic writing. In general, words should be used for numbers from zero through nine, and numerals should be used from 10 onwards.

Is it OK to use numbers in writing?

Basic numbers


For larger numbers, it is acceptable to use either numerals or words depending on context

(e.g. a thousand people/1,000 people), but you should always use numerals in technical writing, e.g. 200,000 km. For less precise larger numbers, the written form is better (e.g. several thousand).

How do you write numbers in an academic paper?

writing. You need to know and use the conventions for writing numbers correctly when you are writing and proofreading your work. For general academic writing,

use words for: all numbers under 10 (e.g., nine) • rounded numbers (e.g., four hundred, two thousand, six million)

.

What Cannot be used in academic writing?

Do you spell out numbers in professional writing?

In business writing, a generally accepted rule is to

spell out numbers from one to nine and use numerals for 10 and above

. Some organisations change at 11 rather than 10.

When should I use numbers instead of words?

  1. Use numerals for 2 and above in text.
  2. Use words for 2 and above in these specific situations.
  3. Write all numbers as numerals in these specific situations.
  4. Use commas in numbers with 4 or more digits.
  5. Combine numerals and words for large rounded numbers.
  6. Choose between numerals or words for currency.

Can you use numbers in APA format?

In general,

APA style recommends using words to express numbers below 10, and using numerals when expressing numbers 10 and above

.

What is the rule for writing numbers in an essay?

A simple rule for using numbers in writing is that

small numbers ranging from one to ten (or one to nine, depending on the style guide) should generally be spelled out

. Larger numbers (i.e., above ten) are written as numerals.

What are the rules of writing numbers in a thesis?

  • Rule #1. Spell out numbers from one to nine for both ordinal (first, third, tenth, etc.) …
  • Rule #2. Spell out any number that begins a sentence. …
  • Rule #3. Use a combination of figures and words for numbers when such a combination will keep your writing clear. …
  • Rule #4. …
  • Rule #5.

How do you write dollars in academic writing?

For US dollars, the symbol ‘$' is sufficient abbreviation, unless there is a mixture of dollar currencies in the text. For other dollar currencies, ‘$' should be prefixed with the country abbreviation. For all other currencies, write the figure first followed by the currency name, for example, ‘100 million yuan'.

Do and don'ts in academic writing?

  • What is the point of an academic paper? …
  • Avoid writing in an overly formal tone. …
  • Avoid colloquialisms. …
  • Don't use exaggeration or hyperbole. …
  • Avoid making generalizations. …
  • Don't use personal pronouns or invoke the reader.

What are the several things to avoid in writing an academic paper?

  • Writing a vague thesis statement.
  • Not having enough facts and evidence to support the thesis statement.
  • Not including their original ideas and analysis.
  • Writing too many long and confusing sentences.
  • Not revising and editing their essays.

Do and don'ts of writing?

  • Do follow a strict writing schedule. …
  • Do learn grammar, punctuation and important rules of writing. …
  • Do limit your use of exclamation marks and ellipsis.
  • Do learn from other authors. …
  • Do make author friends. …
  • Do write things down. …
  • Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Do you write 12 or twelve?

  1. We need three chairs and one table.
  2. He has three sisters.
  3. The train leaves at 5 pm.

Do you write ten or 10?

(Grammar Rules for Writers.) There are several rules of thought on how to handle writing numbers, but the most common is pretty simple.

Spell out numbers under 10 (zero through nine), and use the numeric symbols for numbers 10 and up.

Do you spell out numbers in AP style?

Generally speaking, we follow the guidelines outlined in the AP Stylebook. In body copy,

we prefer to spell out numbers one through nine, and use numerals for numbers 10 and greater

. This is true of ordinal numbers, as well. Spell out first to ninth, and capture 10th or greater with numerals.

Are numbers considered words?

In linguistics,

a numeral (or number word) in the broadest sense is a word or phrase that describes a numerical quantity

.

Can I use numbers in an essay MLA?


MLA Style spells out numbers that can be written in one or two words

(three, fifteen, seventy-six, one thousand, twelve billion) and to use numerals for other numbers (23⁄4; 584; 1,001; 25,000,000). APA Style, on the other hand, generally uses words for numbers below 10 and numerals for numbers 10 and above.

Should 2000 be written out?

The Chicago Manual of Style recommends

spelling out the numbers zero through one hundred and using figures thereafter

—except for whole numbers used in combination with hundred, thousand, hundred thousand, million, billion, and beyond (e.g., two hundred; twenty-eight thousand; three hundred thousand; one million).

How do you write 1000 in APA?

  1. page numbers e.g., page 1029.
  2. binary digits e.g., 00110010.
  3. serial numbers e.g., 290466960.
  4. degrees of temperature e.g., 3071 F°
  5. acoustic frequency designations e.g., 2000 Hz.
  6. degrees of freedom e.g., F(24, 1000). (APA, 2020, p. 180)

How do you cite numbers?

  1. Arrange the sources you cite alphabetically and then number them; or.
  2. Number the citations consecutively according to the first mention of each source in the text (using the same number for subsequent references to the same source).

Does APA 7 use Roman numerals?

Generally, you can spell out numbers below 10 in words (seven, three), and use numerals for anything 10 and higher (10, 42).

You should use Arabic numerals (1, 7) instead of Roman numerals (II, XI) unless the Roman numerals are part of established terminology in your field

.

Can you use numbers in a college essay?

According to APA Style,

you should normally use numerals for the numbers 10 and above

. You should use words to express numbers below 10 (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine).

Should you write numbers in an essay?


It is generally best to write out numbers from zero to one hundred in nontechnical writing

. In scientific and technical writing, the prevailing style is to write out numbers under ten. While there are exceptions to these rules, your predominant concern should be expressing numbers consistently.

How do you write 5 am in an essay?

Rules.

Lowercase a.m. and p.m. and always use periods

. Lowercase noon and midnight.

How do you write 1800s in an essay?

Both forms of usage are correct: “the 1800s” and “the 19th (or nineteenth) century.” Since the years of the nineteenth century begin with the numerals “18,” it is also called the “1800s” (pronounced eighteen hundreds). No apostrophe is necessary before the s.

The 1800s was a time of industrialization.

How do you write 2 million in an essay?

The Chicago Manual of Style recommends

spelling out the numbers zero through one hundred and using figures thereafter

—except for whole numbers used in combination with hundred, thousand, hundred thousand, million, billion, and beyond (e.g., two hundred; twenty-eight thousand; three hundred thousand; one million).

What are the rules for numbers?

What are some examples of academic writing?

How do you write 100 in an essay?

I like the MLA style, which advises that for a percentage less than one hundred, you should write it in words: two percent, seventy-six percent, ninety-nine percent, but, for a percentage greater than one hundred, write it in numerals:

110 percent, 500 percent, 999 percent

.

How do you write percentages in academic writing?


Use the symbol % to express percent in scientific and technical writing, except when writing numbers at the beginning of a sentence

. When you write out the word, use the form percent instead of the older form per cent.

Do you write 12 or twelve?

Do you write 10 or ten?

A simple rule for using numbers in writing is that

small numbers ranging from one to ten (or one to nine, depending on the style guide) should generally be spelled out

. Larger numbers (i.e., above ten) are written as numerals.

How should numbers be written in a sentence?

  1. Spell out numbers that begin a sentence: …
  2. Spell out numbers used in a casual sense: …
  3. Use numerals for numbers 10 and greater and spell out numbers one through nine, with these exceptions: …
  4. A note on statistics on the NAU21 web theme: Please don't use statistics outside of stats blocks.

How do you use numbers in letters?

For instance, number “4” can be used instead of letter “A”, number “8” can be used as letter “B” or lowercase “g”, 7 can be used as letter “T”, 5 can be used as letter “S” and 1 can be used as letter “I” according to their shape resembles to the letters.

Maria LaPaige
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Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.