Exact vs. approximate numbers
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:41 pm
I find myself in a quandary with a project I'm currently proofreading, and since I've found useful information on this board before, I thought I would dive in and see if y'all can help me directly.
What I'm finding is an inconsistency in using approximate vs. exact numbers. For example, I might come across one sentence which reads, "Over 40 members attended," and then, in another section, encounter, "67 members were surveyed."
I understand from a marketing standpoint the values of one over the other, but in a situation where marketing is negligible, what (if any) are the grammar rules governing when one or the other should be used? My guess would be, if exact numbers are known, use exact; if they are not, use approximate. This is just a guess, however.
Thanks!
What I'm finding is an inconsistency in using approximate vs. exact numbers. For example, I might come across one sentence which reads, "Over 40 members attended," and then, in another section, encounter, "67 members were surveyed."
I understand from a marketing standpoint the values of one over the other, but in a situation where marketing is negligible, what (if any) are the grammar rules governing when one or the other should be used? My guess would be, if exact numbers are known, use exact; if they are not, use approximate. This is just a guess, however.
Thanks!