When do numbers stand alone?

Question

0Hi, thank you for your help with this!  A question arose today regarding numbers and when they're hyphenated in text and when they're not.  Examples:02br02br00There are 30 tons of hay being delivered today.  or  There are 30-tons of hay being delivered today?02br02br00This 19-acre property?... or This 19 acre property...?02br02br00What is the rule on this use?  Is there a difference when they're used in bullet format versus text?  We often use these descriptions pertaining to mileage, tonage, acreage, etc. and using the hyphen correctly is important.02br02br00Thank you very much for your help!!!  Have a wonderful day!0-

Philip · Accepted Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Anonymous12cite10Hi, thank you for your help with this! A question arose today regarding numbers and when they're hyphenated in text and when they're not. Examples:12br
12br
10There are 30 tons of hay being delivered today. or There are 30-tons of hay being delivered today?12br
12br
10This 19-acre property?... or This 19 acre property...?12br
12br
10What is the rule on this use? Is there a difference when they're used in bullet format versus text? We often use these descriptions pertaining to mileage, tonage, acreage, etc. and using the hyphen correctly is important.12br
12br
10Thank you very much for your help!!! Have a wonderful day!12br
12blockquote

11font00When the number is "modifying" the noun, use the hyphen. "I have 19 acres of land" vs. "My 19-acre farm is too much for me".02font00 0-

CalifJim · Answer

0 30 ton01b00s02b00 of hay; 01u00a02u00 30-ton 01u00bale02u00 of hay02br
00 19 acre01b00s02b00 of land, 01u00a02u00 19-acre 01u00property02u02br
00 20 mile01b00s02b00 away, 01u00a02u00 20-mile 01u00trip02u02br
00 6 f01b00ee02b00t tall, 01u00a02u00 6-f01b00oo02b00t 01u00column02u02br
00 costs 10 dollar01b00s02b00, is 01u00a02u00 10-dollar 01u00item02br
02u00This pony only knows one trick. It is 01u00a02u00 one-trick 01u00pony02u00.02br
02br
00 The hyphen only occurs in the adjectival form. Only the singular form of the unit of measure is possible in the adjectival form.02br
02br
00 CJ0-

Yoong Liat · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10CalifJim12cite1030 ton11b10s12b10 of hay; 11u10a12u10 30-ton 11u10bale12u10 of hay12br
1019 acre11b10s12b10 of land, 11u10a12u10 19-acre 11u10property12u12br
1020 mile11b10s12b10 away, 11u10a12u10 20-mile 11u10trip12u12br
106 f11b10ee12b10t tall, 11u10a12u10 6-f11b10oo12b10t 11u10column12u12br
10costs 10 dollar11b10s12b10, is 11u10a12u10 10-dollar 11u10item12br
12u10This pony only knows one trick. It is 11u10a12u10 one-trick 11u10pony12u10.12br
12br
10The hyphen only occurs in the adjectival form. Only the singular form of the unit of measure is possible in the adjectival form.12br
12br
10CJ12br
12br
12blockquote

12br
00Nowadays, I often see in print '19 acre property', 20 mile trip' etc. It seems the hypen is slowly disappearing. Or are the writers wrong in leaving out the hyphen?0-

Philip · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Yoong Liat12cite12br
11blockquote
11cite20CalifJim22cite2030 ton21b20s22b20 of hay; 21u20a22u20 30-ton 21u20bale22u20 of hay22br
2019 acre21b20s22b20 of land, 21u20a22u20 19-acre 21u20property22u22br
2020 mile21b20s22b20 away, 21u20a22u20 20-mile 21u20trip22u22br
206 f21b20ee22b20t tall, 21u20a22u20 6-f21b20oo22b20t 21u20column22u22br
20costs 10 dollar21b20s22b20, is 21u20a22u20 10-dollar 21u20item22br
22u20This pony only knows one trick. It is 21u20a22u20 one-trick 21u20pony22u20.22br
22br
20The hyphen only occurs in the adjectival form. Only the singular form of the unit of measure is possible in the adjectival form.22br
22br
20CJ22br
22br
22blockquote
22br
10Nowadays, I often see in print '19 acre property', 20 mile trip' etc. It seems the hypen is slowly disappearing. Or are the writers wrong in leaving out the hyphen?12br
12blockquote

11b01font00I believe they are wrong to leave it out. However, one of the most common reasons that a language changes is that enough people continue to do something wrong, so it becomes the norm. In the case of this hyphen, I see it more as a convention that a rule with miles of logic behind it.02font02b00 0-

Yoong Liat · Answer

0CJ02br
02br
00I don't know whether you have seen such constructions without the hyphen. I've seen such constructions quite often. And if it becomes more and more common, the hyphen may disappear. As you said, a mistake repeated over a long time becomes accepted usage.0-

Cool Breeze · Answer

0 01blockquote

01cite10Yoong Liat12cite10I've seen such constructions quite often. And if it becomes more and more common, the hyphen may disappear. As you said, a mistake repeated over a long time becomes accepted usage.12br
12blockquote

10It has been customary to omit the hyphens for a very long time and I think contrary to what you say it may be becoming more common especially in AmE to have them. I usually use them since in my view, anyway, it makes it easier to understand such groupings of numbers and words. However, I would hardly think it a mistake to omit the hyphens:02br
02br
01i00a two-mile walk, a two mile walk, a 2-mile walk, a 2 mile walk02i02br
02br
00Cheers02br
00CB0-

Anonymous · Answer

0 "30 tons of hay" is correct.02br
00It could be written "a 30-ton bale of hay" ... in this situation "30-ton" is a modifier of "bale"02br
02br
00"This 19-acre property" is correct, since "19-acre" is the modifier.02br
00It could also be written as "This property encompasses 19 acres."0-

Anonymous · Answer

0how would you handle this... "within a 200-300 mile radius..." or "within a 200- to 300-mile radius" or something else??? thanks02br
02br
00CT Jim0-

Clive · Answer

0Hi,02br
02br
01font00how would you handle this... "within a 200-300 mile radius..." or "within a 200- to 300-mile radius" or something else??? 02font02br
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01font00Personally, I'd write it as00 Within a 200 to 300 mile radius.02font02br
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01font00Or I might avoid the hyphen issue by writing 00Within a radius of 200 to 300 miles.02font02br
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00As a general comment, I'd say that the use of hypens in such cases is declining, and is sometimes seen as rather 'fussy'. I'm sure other people may disagree with me.05002br
02br
00Best wishes, Clive010id1

Anonymous · Answer

Question: How about this example:

Sites were listed at or within a 1-mile radius of the property.

or

When do numbers stand alone?

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