2.  Basic rule – Spell out whole numbers below 10, use figures for 10 and above.  For example: Each person was given three pencils. The entire class received a 30-count box.

3.  Spell out numbers if they are used at the start of a sentence.  Thirty-eight geese were tagged by the researchers.  Exception: If a calendar year is used at the start of the sentence, we use a numeral. - 2009 was not a productive year for the business.

4.  Always use figures.  An 8-year-old boy. The 37-year-old pitcher.  Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.  A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10.  The race is for 3-year-olds.  The woman is in her 30s. (No apostrophe)

5.  Use figures for percent and percentages. -1 percent  Use decimals, not fractions – 2.5 percent.  For amounts less than one percent, use a zero in front of the decimal. - The cost of living rose 0.6 percent.

6.  Use figures and the dollar sign in all uses except casual references or amounts without a figure.  Admission to the concert is $12. A 12-pack of Coca Cola costs $4.50. The new coach’s contract is for $325,000 annually.  For amounts of more than $1 million, use up to two decimal places. - The building cost $5.25 million.

7.  Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc. to indicate depth, height, length and width.  Hyphenate when used to modify a noun.  He is 5 feet 6 inches tall. The 5-foot-6-inch man.  The area received 5 inches of snow Tuesday.  The building has 6,000 square feet of floor space.

8.  Use figures for all except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign, to indicate a temperature below zero. - It was sunny and 67 at the park. - The day’s low was minus 10. OR - The day’s low as 10 below zero.  Temperatures get higher or lower, but they don’t get warmer or cooler.

9.  Only abbreviate Ave., Blvd. and St. when used with a numbered address. - The home is on Smith Avenue. - The home is located at 1215 Smith Ave.  Never abbreviate road, alley, drive, terrace or any other address.  Capitalize when part of a formal name without a number. Lowercase when used alone or with two or more names.

10.  Use figures except for noon or midnight.  Use a.m. and p.m. Not in the morning or in the afternoon. - Lunch service starts at 11:45 a.m. - Class begins at 6:30 p.m.  For 12 p.m., use noon. For 12 a.m., use midnight. Just noon or midnight.  Do not write 12 noon or 12 midnight – those are redundant.

11.  Capitalize the names of months in all uses.  When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate the following months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. - He was born on Aug. 9, 1990. - The trip starts May 12. - The bus trip is planned from Nov. 12-15. - The coldest month of the year was January.  Number only. No th or rd or anything after the number.