Vulgar Fractions (AmE - Common Fractions)

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 523.

¹/₂ - one half, a half

¹/₃ - one third

⁴/₇ - four sevenths

4¹/₃ - four and a third

Note:

Vulgar fractions (common fractions) are usually written with words

within a sentence.

e.g. About two-thirds of the class were present that day.

e.g. An optimist sees the glass as one-half full, while a pessimist sees it as

one-half empty.

3. Decimal Fractions (Decimals) [¢desim lz]

0.2 nought [n :t] (zero) point two

. 5 point five

21. 7 twenty-one point seven

Remember: Full stops (AmE - periods) are used as a decimal point.

Note:

In saying number “zero” [¢zi rou] is generally used for “0” in science

(e.g. It was 10 degrees below zero last night; absolute zero; subzero

temperatures etc.).

In ordinary speech, a British speaker usually uses “nought” (especially before and sometimes after a decimal point, as in 0.07 = nought point nought seven) or “oh” [ou] (especially after a decimal point, as in 2.04 = two point oh [ou] four. “0” is always pronounced [ou] in telephone numbers, as in 23-04-07. The word “nil” for “0” is used especially in sports results:

e.g. Our team won by five goals to nil.

American speaker can use “ zero” for “0” in each of these cases.

4. Percentages (%)are always stated in figures. When a percentage appears in written communication, the word “percent” (or per cent) is spelt out (spelled out - AmE). The symbol % may be used in tables, charts, graphs or in scientific writing.

e.g. This restaurant has a 10 per cent service charge.

e.g. Within the European Community, Ireland stands out for the youth of its population, with 37% under 20 years of age, whereas only 21.8% of the population of Germany is in this same age group. Ireland also has the lowest percentage (15.1%) of those over 60, while the United Kingdom has the highest with 20.7%.

5 Calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)