scribbledes --
Although kriswrite'ga's comment is certainly correct with regard to
ordinary formal and informal writing, her point is a matter of style
and not grammar. Indeed, you are also correct that it is standard
etiquette that formal invitations should spell out the year on the
invitation. But you knew that already.
I am confident that your grammatical concern about using "and" when
writing out 2004, for example, is unfounded. I suspect that this
concern is based on the correct notion that any numbers followed by a
decimal or fraction would have to be recited like this, using an "and"
for clarity:
2000.3 is spoken (or theoretically written) as "two thousand and
three tenths" (or "two thousand point three); and
2000 1/2 is spoken as "two thousand and one-half."
However, it does not follow that the use of "and" is incorrect when
used in writing out "2004" on a wedding (or other formal) invitation.
And it certainly is not necessary for clarity.
Interestingly, a very respectable online encyclopedia indicates that
the use of "and" in reciting numbers is more common in England than in
the U.S.:
"When saying or writing out numbers, the British will put an "and"
before the last part, as in "one hundred and sixty-two" and "two
thousand and three", whereas Americans go with "one hundred,
sixty-two" and "two thousand, three". Americans also have a tendency
to read numbers like 1234 as "twelve thirty-four", which would be
"twelve hundred and thirty-four" or "one thousand, two hundred and
thirty-four" in Britain unless discussing the year 1234, when "twelve
thirty-four" would be the norm."
Internet Ecncyclopedia: American and British English Differences.
http://www.internet-encyclopedia.org/wiki.php?title=American_and_British_English_Differences
This preference for using the "and" by the British does not make in
ungrammatical in American English. In fact, it may well tend to
explain the old practice in the U.S. of using the "and" in
"traditional" formal invitations.
You are already familiar with the preference for "and" in wedding
invitation etiquette. That preference is reflected in an unscientific
comparison of two Google searches:
This search (without the "and") returns only 33 "hits":
"two thousand four" "wedding invitation"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=%22two+thousand++four%22+%22+wedding+invitation%22
Add "and" to the search terms and you get 181 hits:
"two thousand and four" "wedding invitation"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=%22two+thousand+and++four%22+%22+wedding+invitation%22&btnG=Search
The bottom line is that writing out 2004 is grammatical either with or
without an "and" but wedding etiquette appears to favor using the
"and" in writing out the date.
There also appears to be a pronounced preference to use the "and" in
writing out dates in formal invitations in general. Compare the
following Google search results:
597 "hits" with the "and":
"two thousand and three" invitation
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=%22two+thousand+and++three%22+invitation+
Only 143 "hits" without the "and":
"two thousand three" invitation -hundred
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&c2coff=1&q=%22two+thousand+three%22+invitation+-hundred
To sum up, I am confident that your uncertainty about the grammatical
correctness in using an "and" when writing out "2004" is traceable to
the fact that an "and" is required when fractions and decimals are
part of the number. While an "and" is not necessary for clarity when
writing out "2004," it is clearly a correct option and indeed is
preferred by tradition under certain circumstances -- such as wedding
invitations -- and by the British in general.
Search Strategy:
My search strategy was explained as part of the body of my answer.
I hope and trust that this answer has been helpful to you. If
anything is unclear, please ask for clarification before rating the
answer.
markj-ga |
