Exact vs. approximate numbers

You have words - now what do you do with them?
tcward
Wordmaster
Posts: 789
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:18 pm
Location: The Old North State

Postby tcward » Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:13 pm

I was talking to Tim, Alan.

Brazilian dude
Alan was talking about your first reply to him, re: quandry. And he was also saying that he has corrected it in his first post...

-Tim

Brazilian dude
Grand Panjandrum
Posts: 1464
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Botucatu - SP Brazil

Postby Brazilian dude » Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:38 pm

Oh, okay.

Brazilian dude
Languages rule!

melissa
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 3:30 am

exact/approximate

Postby melissa » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:12 am

Not really a question of grammar but of precision. "Over 40" means more than 40 and less than 50, but "almost 50" would be better if much closer to 50 than 40. If 67 members are reported, It should be exactly 67. If 67 percent, between 66.5 and 67.5 percent. If 60 percent, between 55 and 65 percent.
Your idea is correct, using numbers of the wrong precision is dishonest but commonly done. Everyone knows that 67.52 % of all statistics are bogus.


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