Dates and numerals

Two areas where Rebecca and I may have marked your paper drafts up somewhat inconsistently relate to dates and numbers/numerals. Here is some clarification that you should use when preparing your next SDS memo draft and for your spring assignments.

Dates

In the text of your memo (including the memo header lines – addressee, date, etc.), indicate dates by spelling out the month followed by the cardinal numeral, a comma, and the year. Military and international usage prefers day, month, year ordering, e.g., "12 November 2008." (The Chicago Manual of Style prefers this as well.) But those provisions of the BB that address exact dates prefer the month, day, year ordering, e.g., "November 12, 2008." Set the date off from succeeding text with a comma. You do not need a comma between a month and year when there is no date. You should abbreviate months in citation sentences/clauses according to BB T. 12, but not in textual sentences. (See BB Rule 6.1.)

    E.g.:    On October 21, 2008, the defendant resigned.
        In October 2008, the defendant resigned. (Some folks feel the comma is unnecessary.)
        On November 4, we will vote. (Again, some folks do not believe comma is necessary.)

    Not:    On October 21^st, 2008, the defendant resigned. (Don't use ordinal "st.")
        On October 21, 2008 the defendant resigned. (Missing comma after "2008.")
        On 21 October 20008, the defendant resigned. (Military/international order.)
        In October, 2008, the defendant resigned. (First comma unnecessary.)

Where you have choices or options, or can vary punctuation based on personal preferences, be sure you do it consistently.

Numbers vs. numerals

Note BB Rule 6.2(a). Under it, you must spell out all numbers zero to ninety-nine in your text. You must also spell out any number that begins a sentence. (The alternative to spelling out the numbers is using numerals; the numeral "6" is spelled out as "six.") Under 6.2(d), you must spell out "percent" where you have to spell out the number; if you can write numerals, you can use the % sign. The rule is pierced with exceptions: Rule 6.2(a)(i) permits the use of spelled out "round" numbers like "hundred" and "thousand." Rule 6.2(a)(v)permits you to use numerals and percent signs "[w]here material repeatedly refers to percentages." (I'd interpret that as multiple occurrences within a single sentence or four or five occurrences within a paragraph; others may differ.) In the silliness category, note under 6.2(a)(vii) that you should use a comma for five-digit numerals, but not for four-digit numerals. And for another classic example of BB silliness, read 6.2(b)(ii).

E.g.:    Steven Snyder owned sixty-five percent of SDS's stock.

Steven Snyder owned 65% of SDS's stock; Bill owned 5%; and Mary owned 3%.

Steven Snyder owned 100% of SDS's stock.

Snyder Corp. invested $3,300,000 in SDS. (Would "$3.3 million" be ok? BNL is not sure.)

SDS still owes Snyder Corp. $200,000. (The rule might permit "two hundred thousand dollars," but much easier to read $200,000.)

SDS owns 1456 trucks and ships 14,567 crates of product per month.

Not:    Steven Snyder owned 65% of SDS's stock.

SDS still owes Snyder Corp. two hundred thousand dollars.

SDS owns 1,456 trucks.

Again, consistency is the key where you have options.