A quarter and a half

[Violetz]

Hello.

In writing fractions, Do a quarter and one quarter mean the same?

Do a half and one half mean the same?

 

[tedmc]

Hello.

In writing fractions, Do "a quarter" and "one quarter" mean the same? Yes

Do "a half" and "one half" mean the same? Yes, but it depends on the sentence.

The quoted items should be put in between inverted commas.

 

[Violetz]

The quoted items should be put in between inverted commas.

Thank you.

In writing fractions, which one can I use " a half" or "one half" ?

 

[emsr2d2]

In When writing fractions, which one can should I use - "a half" or "one half"?

Note my corrections above. It really depends on context.

My son is three-and-a-half years old.
My son is three-and-one-half years old. Grammatically correct but so unnatural that no native speaker would use it.

My daughter is one half of a great folk duo.
My daughter is half of a great folk duo.
My daughter is a half of a great folk duo.

Cut a piece of wood eleven-and-a-half inches long.
Cut a piece of wood eleven-and-one-half inches long. Grammatically correct but too unnatural for a native speaker to use.

 

[Skrej]

My son is three-and-one-half years old. Grammatically correct but so unnatural that no native speaker would use it.
Cut a piece of wood eleven-and-one-half inches long. Grammatically correct but too unnatural for a native speaker to use.

These 'X and one-half' patterns sound like the kind of sentences we hear from little kids still learning the language. I've noticed that when kids only have a few years under their belt (or diaper as it were), they seem very adamant that you acknowledge that extra half-year, and they are in fact two and one HALF years old, not two!

But then, I guess if you're only two or three years old, another 6 months does represent a substantial percentage of your total age.

 

[Tdol]

Less so when you're about to clock 60.