"and" in numerical expressions (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Tom Zurinskas]

I go on many forums including ESL.  What should I say if someone should ask the proper pronunciation of numbers.  Right now I take it from this forum that in USA it is not taught in schools, my Catholic grammar school being an exception.

Some folks are saying here now that they did get some instruction on how to say numbers in grammar school and it differs from mine.  I was taught the rule that you don't say "and" in a number.  Most say this is correct (at least in one forum I quoted in a post here before).

Your response is that although I got instruction my preference is arbitrary despite the logic of my expanations in previous posts.  You say you got instruction in saying numbers yet don't say what it is.  What good is that?  Did you forget what it was?

This is not worth anyone getting bent out of shape over.  If the way a number is said is not misunderstandable, then it's fine.  But if I were to advise a teacher on how to teach pronunciation of numbers, I'd say leave the "and" out of there.  The result would be just as one would write a check number out.  Consistency.


Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
see truespel.com



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> Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 10:55:44 -0500
> From: Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL
> Subject: Re: "and" in numerical expressions (UNCLASSIFIED)
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
> Subject: Re: "and" in numerical expressions (UNCLASSIFIED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
>>
>> Amazingly, I must report that no one in this forum was instructed in
>> grammar/elementary/grade/primary school how to say numbers.
>>
>
> To whom must you make such a report? And will it go on my permanent
> record?
>
> Seriously, you are jumping to a wrong conclusion. I was instructed in
> school how to say numbers -- I just wasn't instructed to do so in the
> arbitrary way you prefer.
>
>
>>
>> Tom Zurinskas, USA - CT20, TN3, NJ33, FL5+
>> see truespel.com
>>
>
> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
> Caveats: NONE
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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