Re: What is right

Subject: Re: What is right
From: Peter Brown <pbrown -at- MKS -dot- COM>
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 16:50:06 -0400

Kim Keegan wrote:

> Feeman Kevin SC2275 asked about:
>
> > "three eight-hour days" vs. "3 8 hour days"
>
> What your SME suggests (3 8 hour days) just plain looks bad!
>
> Rubens (Science and Technical Writing - A Manual of Style) says to
> spell
> out numbers if ten or less (7.9), to use numerals to report all time
> values (7.7), and to put a hyphen between numbers and words that form
> a
> unit modifier (7.13).
>
> So, by these rules, shouldn't it be "three 8-hour days"?

I would not use "8" to describe hours in that context. Use numerals for
an actual time of day, 8:11 p.m., but I would express the above term:
"three eight-hour days."

--
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Opinions? I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention."
Peter Brown, Technical Writer (pbrown -at- mks -dot- com)
Mortice Kern Systems Inc. (http://www.mks.com)

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