How to Write Measurements in a Formal Paper
When you're writing a formal paper for school or work, you need to format measurements in the text using a specific method. The method of formatting measurements should fit with the formal content of the rest of the paper. Write measurements in a formal paper using the specific rules set forth in the AP style guide.
Step 1
Use numerals for all measurements of weight and distance, regardless of the value of the number. If you write the number "7" in a formal paper, spell out "seven" because the number is less than 10. However, when "7" is a measurement, use the numeral and not the spelled-out word.
Step 2
Type a space followed by the unit of measure. For example, if you are writing a paper about the height of a chair, write, "The chair was 4 feet in height."
Step 3
Place a hyphen in between the number and unit of measure if the measurement is modifying an object. For example, if your sentence is formatted, "The [measurement] [object]...", write "The 4-foot chair..." with a hyphen.
Writer Bio
Stephen Lilley is a freelance writer who hopes to one day make a career writing for film and television. His articles have appeared on a variety of websites. Lilley holds a Bachelor of Arts in film and video production from the University of Toledo in Ohio.
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