Why do official documents write out numbers and use numeric symbols at the same time?
ByQuestion by zemblan: Why do official documents write out numbers and use numeric symbols at the same time?
I don’t think I explained it well in the heading, here’s an example:
“submit an application, resume, cover letter and reference list with three (3) professional references”
Why did they add the (3) after they’d written out the word “three”? If someone doesn’t understand the word “three” written out, then that person 1– can’t read the rest of the form anyway, and 2– isn’t someone who should be applying for the position. But I see that all the time, so I figure there has to be a reason. It’s probably a bad reason, but at least it is a reason and I’d like to know what it is.
Do you actually know that or are you guessing? because that doesn’t make sense to me, it goes back to my two objections. What, is someone going to say “ohh, I thought you wrote ‘thirty’ instead of ‘three’ because I have the strangest case of dyslexia in recorded history. Sorry for sending 30 references”? I don’t see where the confusion could possibly come in.
Best answer:
Answer by millionaire
so there is no confusion by some number looking like another, and so numbers can’t be fudged
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
This is the reason the overwhelming majority of non-domestic college students major in the pure sciences. Their effort is not compromised by the struggle with English semantics. Any words, even the brief and definitive amendments to the constitution, can be corrupted with self serving rhetoric.
Before the wide spread use of numbers, the practice of implying value with letters was understandably confusing. Many of the translation errors of the old testament are due to this process.
Unlike the United States, some countries do not consider the numeric amount subordinate to the written amount in a check. Rather than processing the written draft “without recourse”, Canadian banks will refuse the demand because the two amounts do not agree.
Still, the reason for your posting is fairly simple. What was once was used as a tool of contractual negotiation has now become nothing more than an overused, and un-necessary, tautology. Similarly, we may hear a lady being referred to as a “widow woman”, but I have never heard anyone use the term “widower man”.
As Pope said: “A little education is a dangerous thing.” It can be, as you have pointed out, a bit irritating too. Good Luck.