MVS posting standards:Sentences, Paragraphs, Punctuation, No text talk Please

[matthew1]

Oakey, thanks for your nice words.

About numbers, we should generally follow Associated Press' style, developed over decades of news writing.

Taken from an AP Style Guide summary:

• Spell out the numbers one through nine. Use Arabic numerals for 10 and up. Always use Arabic numerals for ages and percentages, even for numbers less than 10.
• Spell out numbers that start a sentence. If the result is awkward, re-work the sentence: Seventy-five students attended the symposium yesterday. Yesterday, 635 seniors were awarded degrees.
• The exception to this rule is a sentence that begins with a calendar year: 2007 was a record-breaking year for fundraising.
• Use Roman numerals for wars, monarchs and Popes: World War II, King George VI, Pope John XXIII
• In the case of proper names, use words or numerals according to the organization’s practice: 3M, Twentieth Century Fund, Big Ten

The reason I put "generally" in italics is because this isn't a news site. So please DO use sentences like

8mm box-end wrenches are good for the smaller nuts.

not

Eight mm box-end wrenches are good for the smaller nuts.



For those who are scared about all this: just do your best to get the technical information from your brain to ours in the most concise way you can. THAT'S the point.

[mikilla]

For some like me it is vary hard because I don't have internet and I do all this on my phone and this site is not phone friendly at all and some of these rules are a little off like spelling out numbers I have two hundred thirty one thousand five hundred sixty two miles take forever to write, whats next no abriviations? Some of these rules are ok but don't bash on people because there not as smart as you and forget to put a period or something that to me sounds vary ignorant and judgmental

[matthew1]

Mikilla,

I value your participation here on MVS.

Oakey asked a very specific question about how to write numbers in English, and I answered him. I'm not asking you to follow AP Style. Thus:

"Use Arabic numerals for 10 and up"

... means "231,562 miles" would be correct because your mileage is over 10.

Again, I want to stress: do your best to get the technical information from your brain to ours in the most concise way you can.

If English is not your first language, do your best within reason to make your post understandable.

If you're typing on a phone, do your best within reason to make your post understandable.

If you have a physical handicap and use voice-to-text translation tools, do your best within reason to make your post understandable.

There are exceptions to every rule. I'm not asking everyone here to become an English professor overnight.

If a phone is what you use, I'm not asking you to sacrifice hours to make a post typing on a tiny keyboard. If your best is "teen texting language", then so be it, but expect fewer responses.

[V850B5254T]

Lee, Matt,

Thats one of the things I like about you guys, straight forward answers, no matter the question.
My English have been improved , - thank you.

/oakey

[bronxnativ]

If Spanish is your first language, and find yourself having difficulty writing your thoughts (here on the forum) in English, I will be happy to serve as a translator and post your inquiry in English (UNLESS Matt objects). You can PM me with your inquiry and I will translate it in English as a post on our forum (Again, unless Matt objects to this!).

[matthew1]

Oh not only do I not object, I think that's a wonderful gesture, Al. Thanks!

[priapism]

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling

[jblackburn]

Excellent suggestion on the Oatmeal comic. I love that site

[850TurboTurtle]

I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one who feels this way. English is a great language - artistic and articulate. We better everyone when we use it well.