2015-08-21
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47.3.1 Mathematical symbols
= ('the equals sign')
This is spoken as equal or equals, is equal to or (less formally) is/are or make/makes so 2 + 2 = 4 could be spoken as 2 and 2 (or 2 plus 2) equal 4 2 and 2 equals 4 2 and 2 is four 2 and 2 are 4 2 and 2 make 4 2 and 2 makes 4 + ('the plus sign') This is spoken as plus or and
2 plus 2 makes 4 2 and 2 make(s) 4
- ('the minus sign')
This is spoken as minus or (less formally) take away or from 9 - 3 = 6 could be spoken as
9 minus 3 equals 6
9 take away 3 equals 6
3 from 9 equals/is/makes 6 x ('the multiplication sign') This is spoken as multiplied by or times 9 x 3 = 27 could be spoken as
9 multiplied by 3 equals 27
9 times 3 is 27
Three nines (or nine threes) are 27
- ('the division sign')
This is spoken as divided by or over
9 - 3 = 3 could be spoken as
9 divided by (or over) 3 equals 3
3 into nine is/goes 3 % ('the percentage sign') This is usually said per cent 3% = three per cent
3 1/2% = three and a half per cent
3 5% = three point five per cent
47.3.2 Fractions [> 5 9 3]
Fractions are usually printed and written with a
horizontal line not a diagonal line
1/4 = a (or one) quarter, 2'1/4 = two and a
quarter
1 /2 = a (or one) half, 2 11/2 = two and a half 3/4 = three quarters 3 3/4= three and three quarters
47.3.3 Decimals [> 5 9 4]
The decimal point is usually raised i e it is not
written as if it was a full stop A comma is
never used We say each number after the
decimal point separately 45 987 = forty five
point nine eight seven
47.4 Dates [> 3.21. 4, 8.12, 8. 13]
47.4.1 Centuries, years
35 BC ('Before Christ1), A D 100= AD one
hundred (i e 'Anno Domini', 'in the year of our
Lord1 in Latin) A D is not usually necessary
except with the early centuries to avoid
possible confusion BC is usually necessary
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Pompey died in 48 B C
Tiberius died in A D 37 The 11th the 20th century will always be taken to mean A D The name of the century is 'one ahead' of the way the years in it are written/ said e g 1500-1599 is the sixteenth century We can refer to the fifteen twenties, etc and in this century to the fifties, the sixties We refer to 1900-1910 as the nineteen hundreds
Years are said in two parts
1066 ten sixty-six, 1917 nineteen seventeen The early years of a century, e g from (19)01 to (19)12 have two forms nineteen hundred and one, or nmeteen-(oh)-one Years ending in '00 are said with hundred' 1900 nineteen hundred, but note 2,000 the year two thousand 47.4.2 The date
We can write the date in different ways e g Day/month/year 6th January, 1990 (or '90) Month/day/year January 6th 1998 (or 98) The letters that follow the numbers {-st, -nd, -rd -th) may be omitted, as can the comma before the year Abbreviations can be used for months [App 24] The date can also be written entirely in figures 6 1 90, or 06 01 90 In BrE this means January 6, 1990 In AmE it means June 1 1990 since the number of the month is written before the day When we say the date we add the January the sixth, or the sixth of January (BrE), but January sixth (AmE)
47.5 The time [> 7.21, 8.11]
47.5.1 Telling the time in everyday speech
If a clock shows (say) 10 00, the fullest answer
to the question 'What s the time7 is It's ten
o'clock But we can also say Ten (very
informal) or It's ten The word o clock is used
only with exact hours, never with other times
It's five past ten, etc Where the hour is known,
we can just say (It's) five past (It's) five to,
etc
For past the hour we say e g (It's) five past (ten), (a) quarter (Not "fifteen") past (ten), ten/twenty past (ten), twenty-five past (ten) For before the hour we say e g (It's) twenty-five to (eleven), twenty to (eleven), (a) quarter to (eleven), ten/five to (eleven) With all other combinations before the hour and past the hour, we say minutes, e g three minutes to ten, twenty-two minutes to eleven In AmE after is commonly used in place of past and of instead of to a quarter of eleven Informally we sometimes say, e g half ten instead of half past ten and ten fifteen, ten thirty instead of using a quarter and half Sometimes we say am (= ante meridiem, i e before midday) or p m (— post meridiem i e after midday) for times before and after 12 noon /'// meet you at 5 p m We also sometimes say at noon or at midnight for 12 a m or 12 p m
47.5.2 The time in schedules and timetables
The twenty-four hour clock is generally used
for, e g railway timetables These are written
and spoken as follows
09 00 nine hundred 21 00 twenty-one
hours hundred hours
09 03 nine oh three 21 03 twenty-one oh
three
09 10 nine ten 21 10 twenty-one ten
09 15 nine fifteen 21 15 twenty-one fifteen 09 30 nine thirty 21 30 twenty-one thirty 09 36 nine thirty-six 21 36 twenty-one
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thirty-six 09 45 nine forty-five 21 45 twenty-one forty-five Which tram do you want to catch'' - I think I'll try to get the ten eighteen
Appendix 48
Appendix 48 [> 2.13,3.21,3.27.3,3.28,7.21,7.22,8.12,9.4,918,9.25.1,9 38] Some adverbs of definite time: 'points of time'
| tomorrow tomorrow morning tomorrow at noon tomorrow afternoon tomorrow evening tomorrow night the day after tomorrow the night after next the day after tomorrow in the morning/afternoon/evening next Monday the Monday after next next January the January after next next Christmas the Christmas after next next week the week after next next month the month after next next year the year after next next century the century after next |
yesterday today
yesterday morning this morning
yesterday at noon at noon
yesterday afternoon this afternoon
yesterday evening this evening
last night tonight
the day before yesterday the night before last the day before yesterday in the morning/afternoon/evening
last Monday this Monday
the Monday before last
last January this January
the January before last
last Christmas this Christmas
the Christmas before last
last week this week
the week before last
last month this month
the month before last
last year this year
the year before last
last century this century
the century before last
this time next week/next year etc this time last week/last year etc
today week - a week from today
a week (or a fortnight two weeks a month) tomorrow = a week etc from tomorrow
a week (or a fortnight two weeks a month) yesterday = a week etc from yesterday
a week/two weeks/a fortnight from yesterday from today from tomorrow etc a month/two months from today from tomorrow from Monday etc a month/two months last Tuesday etc a month/two months next Tuesday etc
NOTES
1 Last night is usually preferable to yesterday night
2 In everyday speech days of the week are often referred to without this last next or on /' m seeing him Monday (i e this next on) / saw him Monday (i e last on)
3 When we wish to draw attention to approaching time we may use the expression this coming This coming week there are three good films on TV
4 This morning this afternoon this evening and tonight can refer to
a) now / feel terrible this morning/tonight etc
b) the morning which is passing or has just passed / spoke to him this morning (= earlier)
c) later on today / // speak to him this morning
5 This Monday etc refers to the nearest Monday from now and can be replaced by next Monday I'm seeing him this Monday/next Monday
6 This week this month this year refer to
a) the part of the week etc which has passed / saw him this week/earlier this week
b) the part ol the week etc which is still to come / m going to Majorca this week 1 This January etc refers to the one that is nearest to us and can be replaced by next
We re spending this/next January, Christmas (etc) in Switzerland
8 The other + day Monday morning etc refers to one that has recently passed every other + day Monday morning etc refers to alternating ones / got a letter from Jill the other morning [compare > 5.27] Mrs Mopp comes in and cleans the house every other day [compare > 5.23]
9 Today week can be replaced by the more formal this day week
10 One + day Monday morning etc is often used in narrative [compare > 3.11]
11 For time references in indirect speech [> 15.13n5]
Appendix 49
Appendix 49 [> 2.27,3.9 3,3.19.2,6.12.2,6.20.3] Some nationality words
