Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and you should never start a sentence with a number.
In the previous episode, we talked about “50% of the population.” If you use that phrase to start the sentence, you have to spell out both “fifty” and “percent.” That’s one rule that all style guides agree on.
Now, what do you do when the number doesn’t start the sentence? For example, “I noticed that 50% of the population likes to watch tennis matches.” In that case, it depends on how large the number is, whether it has any decimals, and whether it’s followed by a symbol such as a percentage sign. Style guides differ, but the traditional advice is to spell out any numbers 10 and larger. If you’re writing dialogue text, such as in a novel, it’s better to spell out any numbers 100 and smaller. As always, no matter what style guide you use, it’s most important to be consistent.
That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit thegrammarminute.com for more tips and tricks.