Time written in words

[Rachel Adams]

Is it unnatural to write time in words?

"I met him at six."

By the way, I have learnt on this forum that numbers from one to ten including ten are written in words, however I came across examples in which native speakers wrote 10 not "ten" and 30 was written in words.

 

[GoesStation]

You can write I met him at six or I met him at 6:00.

Native speakers don't necessarily know all the obscure rules that publishers follow, and not all publishers use the same rules.

 

[Rachel Adams]

No.

People are fairly flexible on this.

I also remember being adviced against using "bitter and bitter" as in "The wine is getting bitter and bitter." In Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" I read "The road is getting more and more steep. (Or... "steeper and steeper.) If "steeper and steeper" is correct why is it wrong to use "bitter and bitter"?

 

[Rachel Adams]

Bitter is not a comparative form.

I see now. Can any comparative form be used in this way? For example; 1. "She is getting more and more sad," "sadder and sadder," 2. "She is getting more and more fat" or "fatter and fatter", "more and more pretty" or prettier and prettier."

 

[emsr2d2]

I see now. Can any comparative form be used in this way? For example; 1. "She is getting more and more sad," "sadder and sadder," 2. "She is getting more and more fat" or "fatter and fatter", "more and more pretty" or prettier and prettier."

I'm struggling to think of one that can't, so yes.

The problem with your "bitter" example is that it's an adjective. The comparative, if we used it, which we don't, would be "bitterer".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is it unnatural to write time in words?

"I met him at six."

By the way, I have learnt on this forum that numbers from one to ten including ten are written in words, however I came across examples in which native speakers wrote 10 not "ten" and 30 was written in words.

The important thing is to be consistent.

Here's what I've noticed:

- In general, you'll usually see one-word numbers (ten, thirty, a hundred, a million) spelled out and other numbers (42, 101, 2020) written in digits.

- In dialogue, numbers are often spelled out, regardless: "I just turned twenty-one yesterday!"

- And if a number is the first word of a sentence, it's spelled out no matter how long it is. That's because sentences always start with capitals.​

As with many English language practices, there is not a one-size-fits-all hard-and-fast rule.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I also remember being advised against using "better and better" as in "The wine is getting better and better." In Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" I read "The road is getting more and more steep. (Or... "steeper and steeper.) If "steeper and steeper" is correct why is it wrong to use "better and better"?

It's not wrong. It adds emphasis. I think your advisor just meant that it gets tiring if you do it — uh — over and over.

Now go look up "bitter." (If the wine is getting bitter, it's not getting better!)