For the syntax geeks

[Ed]

Which of these is correct please?

1. £4370.60

or

2. £4,370.60

Am sending a letter to a pedant who will object if I get it wrong.

Ta

Ed

[timwilky]

I would always use syntax 2 on my fee notes.

[MiniMatt]

Either :D

Personally I'd go with number 2 but I don't think that's necessarily any more or less correct. And I'm a pedant :D

[Sosha]

Hmmmm

http://www.grammarbook.com/numbers/numbers.asp

"Rule 7. With numbers that have decimal points, use a comma only when the number has five or more digits before the decimal point. Place the comma in front of the third digit to the left of the decimal point. When writing out such numbers, use the comma where it would appear in the figure format. Use the word and where the decimal point appears in the figure format. Examples:






Examples:
$15,768.13: Fifteen thousand, seven hundred sixty-eight dollars and thirteen cents
$1054.21: One thousand fifty-four dollars and twenty-one cents
Note: If the number has no decimal point, authorities disagree on whether to begin using the comma with four-digit numbers or to begin using the comma with five-digit numbers. When writing out these numbers, I recommend using the comma where it appears in the numerical form.
1,054 schools OR 1054 schools: one thousand, fifty-four schools OR one thousand fifty-four schools
12,154 schools: twelve thousand, one hundred fifty-four schools


EDIT: Though this seems a bit American so not sure I trust it

[Kinvig]

I seem to recall being told at school that the "british way" was to use the comma to denote thousands, millions etc and the "american way" to do without.

[MiniMatt]

He'll probably even get grumpy with you signing your letters:

"Ta


Ed"

There's simply no pleasing some people :D

[Sosha]

Or.....

http://www.howtolearnenglish.co.uk/look-commas-semi-colons.html

"
Commas And Numbers

In English, numbers after 999 are separated using commas. Commas separate the numbers, whereas periods (full stops) separate the decimals.


1,000
1,567
1,399,500"

To Confuse things...

[wyrdness]

I'd choose the second one. I was always told at school to put in a comma before each group of three digits. Is it really important that the pedant doesn't object? If he's going to object to something this trivial, then he's probably so far up his own backside that he'll never see daylight again.

[fizzwheel]

On a spreadsheet then I'd use Option 1, But if writing figures down in a letter or on an invoice then I would use Option 2.

I'm not sure whether I am correct or not though...

[Ed]

I was taught to use a comma. But it looks fussy and old fashioned. I like a modern, crisp approach.

[fizzwheel]

Which one is Mr Pedant going to think is the right one ?

[MiniMatt]

I'd suggest that modern/crisp also should mean "easy to read". Personally I always find the comma just aids in reading numbers tho I tend to get "number blindness" (made up term).

I'm guessing with larger numbers tossed around in conveyancing (eg. £123,000) you'd use the comma without hesitiation so I'd just go with consitency.

Or, follow the style of any accompanying official documents - is it going off with a land reg form or something?

[Ed]

Not to anyone 'official' - to a client.

Have decided on the comma:rolleyes:

[Jabba]

Have decided on the comma:rolleyes:

Good man - as someone else said, makes it easier to read :thumbsup:

[Bibio]

i was going to say as well as the numbers include written figure as well, like a cheque.

that way there is no confusion as to the sum:

the sum of four thousand three hundred and seventy pounds and sixty pence.

[ArtyLady]

I'd go with no. 2 if you want it to be formal :)

[Stu]

You're charging him how much? :shock:





;)

[yorkie_chris]

£4.37060x10^3

[xXBADGERXx]

I was taught to use option 2 and beat anyone to death that used option 1 . HTH .

[Spiderman]

from a salesmans point of view i'd show the first one in a bill to a client Ed. Its one of those psychological ones like £19.99 is less than 20 quid thing is.

The comma emphasies the thousands and will delay him writing a cheque. We used to do that in sales all the time mate ;)

[Ed]

You're charging him how much? :shock:





;)

OK - this was the bill for signing off on Grinch's photos:smt031

Sadly not, I was telling a particularly pedantic client how much is going to be left over on the sale of his old house and the buy of a new one. Well, new to him, he wouldn't be seen dead on 'one of those estates'. He has sent back one of my letters with grammatical corrections. I couldn't believe it. I never but NEVER write addresses with dots and commas like this:

Mr.A. Smith,
23, Acacia Avenue,
Shrewsbury,
SY1 1AA

and never put in the county (Shropshire,), but this is what he did:rolleyes: And put a comma after 'Dear Mr Smith':rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Stu]

Write him back...



txt speak ;)

[ArtyLady]

OK - this was the bill for signing off on Grinch's photos:smt031

Sadly not, I was telling a particularly pedantic client how much is going to be left over on the sale of his old house and the buy of a new one. Well, new to him, he wouldn't be seen dead on 'one of those estates'. He has sent back one of my letters with grammatical corrections. I couldn't believe it. I never but NEVER write addresses with dots and commas like this:

Mr.A. Smith,
23, Acacia Avenue,
Shrewsbury,
SY1 1AA

and never put in the county (Shropshire,), but this is what he did:rolleyes: And put a comma after 'Dear Mr Smith':rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I am a qualified secretary :geek: (honest! and with legal stuff too!) and I can tell you that although you can use either

24th May 2011

Mr.A. Smith,
23, Acacia Avenue,
Shrewsbury,
SY1 1AA

or

24 May 2011

Mr A Smith
23 Acacia Avenue
Shrewsbury
SY1 1AA

and both would be right - but the latter is used most commonly and has been for many years - I always set it out as the bottom one as you obviously do too :D

HTH

[Ruffy]

Sadly not, I was telling a particularly pedantic client how much is going to be left over on the sale of his old house and the buy of a new one. Well, new to him, he wouldn't be seen dead on 'one of those estates'. He has sent back one of my letters with grammatical corrections. I couldn't believe it. I never but NEVER write addresses with dots and commas like this:

Mr.A. Smith,
23, Acacia Avenue,
Shrewsbury,
SY1 1AA

and never put in the county (Shropshire,), but this is what he did:rolleyes: And put a comma after 'Dear Mr Smith':rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
I think technically he's correct, from a traditional letter writing perspective. But since the invention of the typewriter (and especially the more recent introduction of the word processor;)), the "rules" about grammar have been interpreted differently.

As so much is about style nowadays, I don't think you'll ever win.

As for your OP, for this client I would use the comma (option 2), assuming he's UK (and not Europe or US who seem to insist on the comma and point being swapped over).

[Ruffy]

Another thought: Has he asked you to further indent each line of the address on the envelope, rather than having it left justified?
e.g.
Mr.A. Smith, 23, Acacia Avenue,
Shrewsbury,
Shropshire
SY1 1AA

[Ed]

No but I guess it'll be next. He put a comma after 'Yours sincerely' as well, and didn't like me starting a sentence with 'Being' as in 'Being ready to complete, there is little further to do until...' - and changed it to 'As you are ready to complete...'

Tit:rolleyes:

[ArtyLady]

Ignore him and carry on as you are Ed - your way is perfectly correct and if he questions it I'll show him my certificates :p ;) :lol:

[Ruffy]

No but I guess it'll be next. He put a comma after 'Yours sincerely' as well, and didn't like me starting a sentence with 'Being' as in 'Being ready to complete, there is little further to do until...' - and changed it to 'As you are ready to complete...'
Now, you are writing everything with fresh quill and ink in best traditional script, aren't you?;)
Tit:rolleyes:
Sounds very much like it.

[mr.anderson]

What about option 3...

£1 000 000.00

[yorkie_chris]

I'd be tempted to write back to him in crayon with something like "deal iz wel dun innit blud"

What about option 3...

$1 000 000.00

http://www.canpages.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/dr-evil.jpg

[Lozzo]

Which of these is correct please?

1. £4370.60

or

2. £4,370.60

Am sending a letter to a pedant who will object if I get it wrong.

Ta

Ed

Punch it into his face in morse code, maybe he won't be so pedantic after that.

[MiniMatt]

If he's that much of a traditionalist I'd suggest writing further legal correspondance in Latin. Or French.

Damn these modernists practicing law in English.