Most (but not all) style books say to hyphenate numbers that have two words (e.g., “forty-six days”).
Unless your style requirements say otherwise, use a hyphen (-) when you need to write the words for a double-digit cardinal number (e.g., “thirty-one flavors”) or ordinal number (e.g., “twenty-first birthday”).
Some of the most common guidelines for hyphens and numbers are as follows:
- APA uses hyphens for two-word numbers but only uses words for 10 and greater at the beginning of a sentence (e.g., “Last year, 25 teachers retired” or “Twenty-five teachers retired last year”).
- Chicago uses words for numbers up to 100 and hyphens in numbers with two words (e.g., “The conference included workshops by twenty-seven professional musicians”).
- MLA requires words for all numbers that have one or two words and doesn’t use hyphens for numbers (e.g., “The researchers interviewed thirty two students”).
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In most cases, spell out numbers under 10, which include cardinal numbers (e.g., “four books” and “nine teachers”) and ordinal numbers (e.g., fifth grade). However, there are exceptions and variations, depending on the style guidelines you’re using.
For example, APA, MLA, and Chicago guidelines require numerals for numbers under 10 when they’re part of dates, times, and measurements (e.g., “The veterinarian fed the kittens a high calorie diet until they weighed 2 pounds”).
You can also use numerals for one through nine when they go after nouns and are part of a series (e.g., “Chapter 7 takes place in a cave”).
Always check with your style book, instructor, or workplace guidelines when you’re unsure about how to spell out cardinal numbers or ordinal numbers.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can also help you use numbers correctly in your writing.
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Very is an adverb that means “to a great extent.” It’s an adverb of degree, which is a type of qualifier.
In a sentence, “very” usually goes before the adjective that it modifies (e.g., “The very loud thunder shook the whole house”).
When you’re writing with “very” and other qualifiers, QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you choose the right words.
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The meaning of possibly is “somewhat likely.” “Possibly” is a qualifier and an adverb of probability.
Use “possibly” to modify a verb when you want to show that something might happen (e.g., “Depending on financial aid, Martin can possibly start law school this fall”).
You can also use “possibly” to modify an adjective (e.g., “Dave is possibly the nicest person I’ve ever met”).
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you use “possibly” and other qualifiers correctly in your writing.
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Use “the” in a sentence to modify a specific version of a noun. Anytime your reader knows the exact noun you mean, use the definite article “the” or any other determiner besides the indefinite articles “a” or “an” (which are for general versions of nouns).
“The” can modify nouns that are singular, plural, countable, or uncountable. Some examples of “the” in a sentence include the following:
- Nick baked the cake for Sarah’s birthday. [Singular, countable noun]
- Please fold all of the shirts in this basket. [Plural, countable noun]
- The soap in your bathroom smells like lavender. [Uncountable noun]
When you’re writing sentences with “the,” QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors.
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The word “the” is an article. “The” is the definite article in English (as opposed to the indefinite articles “a” and “an”).
“The” is one of the determiners that can modify specific rather than general versions of nouns. When readers know exactly which noun you mean, use “the” or any other determiner (e.g., “my” or “this”) besides indefinite articles.
You can use “the” before all of these types of nouns:
- Singular (e.g., “The purse over there belongs to me”)
- Plural (e.g., “Except for the coins in my wallet, I don’t have any cash”)
- Countable (e.g., “I put all the pens in the desk drawer”)
- Uncountable (e.g., “I gave all of the gum to my niece”)
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use “the” and other articles or determiners correctly in your writing.
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The word “of” is not an article but rather, a preposition. As a preposition, “of” begins a prepositional phrase, which also includes a noun. The following examples include prepositional phrases (in bold) that begin with “of.”
- The pyramids are made of limestone blocks.
- Michael published a book of poems.
In contrast to a preposition, an article is a determiner that modifies a noun. The definite article in English is “the,” and the indefinite articles are “a” and “an.”
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you use “of” correctly in your writing.
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The word and is not an article. It’s sometimes confused with the indefinite article “an,” but it’s a different part of speech.
And is a coordinating conjunction, so you can use it between two grammatically equal words, phrases, or clauses. For example, “and” can go between two independent clauses (e.g., “George had a sandwich for lunch, and Martha had soup”).
When you’re using indefinite articles or coordinating conjunctions in your writing, the QuillBot Grammar Checker is here to help.
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The word “an” is an indefinite article that modifies a noun. It can go right before the noun, before the first adjective that modifies the noun, or before an adverb that modifies the noun’s first adjective.
Use this indefinite article in these situations:
- When you’re referring to a general version of a singular, countable noun (e.g., “an English muffin”)
- When the next word starts with a vowel sound (e.g., “an hour” or “an apple”)
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors when you’re writing with “an.”
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The word “that” is not an article but rather, a demonstrative pronoun.
The articles in English are the definite article “the” and the indefinite articles “a” and “an.”
Use “that” before a singular, countable noun that is clear from the context or that has already been mentioned (e.g., “I’m binge watching Ted Lasso again because I love that show”).
When you’re writing with indefinite articles, definite articles, or demonstrative pronouns, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker is here to help.
Continue reading: Is that an article?
