Posted by Soroban on October 17, 2002 at 16:25:18:
In Reply to: Re: Reading out decimal numbers posted by Denis Borris on October 16, 2002 at 23:06:04:
: : Is there a correct way to read aloud decimal numbers? I was taught to say thirty-four point five seven. It grates on me to hear newsreaders saying thirty-four point fifty-seven. This morning the barometric pressure was thirty point thirty.
: : Am I out of date, and is it now OK to read the numbers after the decimal point as a whole number?
: Don't think there's an answer to that: I was taught same way as you were.
I was taught that way, too.
But I quickly learned that NO ONE ever says, "The square root of 3 is
about one and seven hundred thirty-two thousandths."
I'm sure it's for clarity that we "spell out" the number in digits.
How about this bit of trivia? I was taught that, when reading long numbers,
an "and" is to be used at the decimal point only.
352.43 is to be read "Three hundred fifty-two and forty-three hundredths",
not "Three hundred and fifty-two..."
Why? Once again, clarity.
There is actually nothing wrong with "three hundred and fifty-two" ~
it still means "300 + 52".
But reading 352,000 as "three hundred and fifty-two thousand" could
be heard as "300 + 52,000".
I agree that 99% of the listeners would understand the phrase to mean
"352 thousands", but the rule was created for that "one percent".
Me? Don't tell anyone, but I'm sure I sprinkle "ands" liberally
throughout my readings of numbers.
: What REALLY grates me is:
: at this point in time (why not just say NOW!)
: no less than n (why not just say n?)
: needless to say ... but they say it anyway !
Mr. B, how about those who use nouns as verbs ~ as in "The new law
impacted their budget"?
Personally, I distance myself from those people.