Writing Tips
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Index N
- namable
- nameable
- names of Canadian universities (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
- names of government departments (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
- nano-
- nas-
- naso-
- National Assembly
- National Capital Region
- nay
- NB
- N.B.
- NDT
- near
- necessary prerequisite
- need
- needs
- neither … nor
- neo-
- Net (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
- neuro-
- never used to
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Newfoundland Daylight Time
- Newfoundland Standard Time
- new French spelling (Linguistic recommendation from the Translation Bureau)
- new innovation
- new recruit
- Nfld.
- NL
- N.L.
- no
- noci-
- noct-
- nocti-
- non-
- nona-
- non-flammable
- non-inflammable
- non sequitur
- Northwest Territories
- Norwego-
- notify
- not quite
- noun
- noun clause
- noun phrase
- noun used as an adjective
- Nova Scotia
- Nowel
- NS
- N.S.
- NST
- NT
- NU
- nulli-
- number
- numbers: age
- numbers: clarity
- numbers: comparative and inclusive numbers
- numbers: consistency
- numbers: decimal fractions
- numbers: governmental and historical designations
- number sign
- numbers in compound adjectives
- numbers: market quotations
- numbers: mathematical usage
- numbers: money
- numbers: names of organizations
- numbers: plurals
- numbers: quantities and measures
- numbers: ratios
- numbers: reference numbers
- numbers: Roman numerals
- numbers: round numbers
- numbers: spelled-out numbers
- numbers starting a sentence
- numbers used as nouns
- numbers: votes and scores
- number symbol
- numeric date
- Nunavut
- N.W.T.
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Avis important
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La zone de recherche et les fonctionnalités
numbers starting a sentence
Spell out a number—or the word number—when it occurs at the beginning of a sentence, as well as any related numbers that closely follow it:
- Three hundred persons were expected, but only twenty-three showed up.
- Number 6 was the last in the series; there was no number 7.
Where this would be awkward, rewrite the sentence. The first sentence above could be rewritten this way:
- A crowd of 300 was expected, but only 23 showed up.
To avoid starting a sentence with a number, it may be possible to end the preceding sentence with a semicolon or to punctuate in some other manner.
- Awkward:
- But that was now in the past. Nineteen hundred and ninety-four was another year.
- Better:
- But that was now in the past; 1994 was another year.
- But that was now in the past—1994 was another year.
- But that was now in the past, and 1994 was another year.
A number followed by a unit of measurement may have to be written in numerals.
- 18.3 cm/s
Thus, to avoid using numerals at the start of a sentence, restructure the sentence so as to place the numeral in another position.
- A result of 18.3 cm/s was the best we could obtain.
Do not leave the numeral at the beginning of the sentence or spell it out.
- Not recommended:
- 18.3 cm/s was the best result we could obtain.
- Eighteen point three was the best result we could obtain.
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Outils d'aide à la rédaction – Writing Tips
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