Search results for 'tag:Numbers tag:Hyphens' matching tags 'Numbers' and 'Hyphens'

Re: correct adjectives?

Clive — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:21:28 GMT

Hi,

You might like to consider this, for example, where it deals with compound adjectives and hyphenation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_compound

My 'Oxford Companion to the Eglish Language' also has a small but interesting section on hyphens (it notes that their use "has always been variable and unpredictable".)

Personally, I'd say the rules/guidelines are quite loose. As long as you feel the meaning will be clear to the reader, you will be OK, very generally speaking. There are certain compounds that are well-accepted. Other than those, I'd advise you to be a bit more careful about forming and using unusual compound adjectives in your more careful writing. And avoid using huge numbers of compound adjectives, as they tend not to express your meaning very clearly and can thus start to irritate the reader.

Overall, the best advice I can offer you is to read a lot, and you will slowly start to get a feeling for this kind of thing.

Clive

Re: Correct punctuation with technical numbers and abbreviations

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:29:38 GMT

Thank you. I continued to research the issue and came across similar results. From what I think I understand the "4" and "GB" represent a compound modifier for "RAM" and generally require the hyphen. As for why I have seen MHz or GHz without a hyphen so often is it generally has been used in relation to processors, which generally are discussed as, Intel Xeon E5430 Processor (2.66 GHz, 1333 FSB) with a quad-core. The frequency is not used as a compound modifier. If is was used as, 2.66 GHz Intel Xeon E5430 Processor, then I think the hyphen would be required.

Is that correct reasoning?

Normal 0 false false false

Correct punctuation with technical numbers and abbreviations

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:47:45 GMT

I have noticed for years many variations of punctuation when you combine numbers and capacity abbreviations. I read a lot of technical stuff and I do not and I can not find (searching the web) a reference to the correct usage.
Which is correct?

4GB RAM, no space between 4 and G
4 GB RAM, space between 4 and G
4-GB RAM, hyphen between 4 and G

Is there a hard and fast rule?

Now with MHz it seems to be consistent, there is always a space between the number and the MHz. Why?

Re: percent and percents

Mr Wordy — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:18:19 GMT

Instead of "a percent", say "a percentage" if you mean the ratio, or "a percent(age) sign" if you mean the symbol.

Instead of "percents", say "percentages" if you mean ratios, or "percent(age) signs" if you mean symbols.

I don't really see what you mean by "referring to the range or a specific number". If something is stated as "25%" then that's what it means: exactly twenty-five percent (well, as exactly as the quality of the data and the precision to which the answer is stated allow, of course).

~~To specify a range, you would write, for example, 25%-30% (where my hyphen should properly be an en dash).~~

Edit: Sorry, being a bit slow. You mean that "25%" means "at least 25%", right? In this sentence it actually doesn't, because we also have "is an acceptable minimum". But sometimes it can. For example:

You must get 25% of the vote.

This would be understood to mean "at least 25%". To figure this out, all you can do is look at the context. If it's obvious that it means "at least", then supply "at least".

The noun "vote" has two slightly different meanings in your sentence. In the first case it means all the votes cast, considered collectively (it can also refer more generally to the process of holding a vote). In the second case it means an individual vote cast by one person.

Re: A sequel to an article before a gerund question

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:25:48 GMT

Hi,

I think I have seen more than enough cases where what people call a verbal noun has the indefinite article 'a' in front of it and at the very least, the sheer number (should it be - sheer numbrs??) of it warrants some good explanations from experts in this forum. I think I can laid out a similar framework of argument for a quoted content too.

These days, students from where I use to live don't study hard. A lot of people seem to feel "sit in your chair and do nothing for eight hours" should be replaced with a quality "sit-in-your-chair-and-do-some-work hours." -- I think I made into a type. I was trying to make it an instance of it though. Do you think all the hyphens in quote in allowed? I think Mr. M said we should use either a hyphen or quotation marks, but usually not both.

I must say, the indefinite article "a" doesn't seem to go well with "hours" in the quotes but see nothing wrong with it, IMO.

Re: correction

Delmobile — Fri, 30 May 2008 03:28:43 GMT

"Businesses like banks and bakeries are closed."

To be absolutely clear, I would say: "Some farmers refuse to evacuate because the harvest season is approaching." "As" can be used to mean "because," and your use here is correct; but I would prefer "because."

"quake hit cities" is a little awkward. I would say "cities affected by the quake."

"...will take years, if not decades, and will require..."

"Under the national's one-child policy, parents who have lost children in the disaster will be allowed to have another child." "Kid" in this kind of writing is inappropriate.

"who had lost his five-year-old daughter..." Two hyphens. And I was taught to spell out any number smaller than 100, but that's just a style question.

I'd order your last paragraph like this:

In some areas, only the school buildings collapsed, while other buildings were hardly damaged. This has led some residents of these areas to believe that the government cut corners to save money when the schools were constructed, and these parents now blame the government for the deaths of their children. When officials came to clean up the rubble, residents protested and chased them away in an effort to preserve evidence they believe the government was trying to cover up.

Re: situ keratomileusis

Clive — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:31:04 GMT

Hi,

How to read situ keratomileusis? Is it Latin? The hyphens indicate that 'in situ' is part of the phrase 'laser in situ'.

Context:

Purpose: To compare the magnitude of aberrations in patients having undergone elective hypermetropic LASIK (laser-in-situ keratomileusis) and hypermetropic lensectomy (clear lens replacement surgery).

Yes, the phrase 'in situ' is Latin. It means 'in its place', usually 'in its original place'. It has a number of specialized medical meanings, which you can find via Google, eg for cancer that has not yet started to spread.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: one-count felony ?

Avangi — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:02:09 GMT

I think it refers to the number of separate felony charges. Was it a misdemeanor or a felony? It was a felony. How many counts? Only one.

Are you sure about the placement of the hyphen? I would think, "What was the charge?" "One count, felony."

For example, in a trial, the defendant may be charged with ten felony counts. The jury may find him guilty on all counts, or they may find him guilty on three and acquit him on the other seven.

Re: how to read Figure 11-2

Clive — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:19:04 GMT

Hi,

The first, excuse me for my English, I am a stranger. My question is how would an English man ( I'm more Canadian, now ) read the text "Figure 11-2", that is the label for example for picture or graph in a book? Figure eleven dash two or figure eleven two..

Also I would like to know how to read other texts. Is the following spelling correct?:

Numbers (for example in newspaper):
15689 - [fifteen thousand, six hundred and eighty nine] OK
15.689 - [fifteen point six hundred and eighty nine] Fifteen point six eight nine
13-9 - [thirteen hyphen nine] thirteen dash nine

Text ".Net Framework 2.0": [dot net framework two point zero] OK.

Clive

how to read Figure 11-2

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:11:07 GMT

Hello to everyone,

The first, excuse me for my English, I am a stranger. My question is how would an English man read the text "Figure 11-2", that is the label for example for picture or graph in a book?

Also I would like to know how to read other texts. Is the following spelling correct?:

Numbers (for example in newspaper):
15689 - [fifteen thousand, six hundred and eighty nine]
15.689 - [fifteen point six hundred and eighty nine]
13-9 - [thirteen hyphen nine]

Text ".Net Framework 2.0": [dot net framework two point zero]

Thank you very much.
Paul.