How to Write About Ranges. Tip #1:
A range is, in written expression, the numerical difference between or among two or more values, or a pair of elements denoting the end points on, and perhaps one or more elements along, a continuum. Using sentences with errors in expressing ranges, this post discusses how to correctly do so in writing.
The school enrolls students in grades 9 – 12.
The correct treatment of a range numbers expressed in numerals is one number followed by an en dash (although some publications employ a hyphen) and another number, with no letter spaces: “The school enrolls students in grades 9–12.”
This style, with a numeral range, is correct even when a publication uses a style system in which references to numbers are usually spelled out if the number is one hundred or less. However, if the range is expressed with to (or through) instead of a dash, the numbers should, in that case, be spelled out: “The school enrolls students in grades nine to twelve.”
Operating hours are from 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
If from precedes the expression of a number range, to, rather than a dash, should intervene between the two values: “Operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.” (If a dash is preferred, delete from: “Operating hours are 9 a.m.–10 p.m.”).
