Trouble Punctuating 1 digit year

Asked by LKBragg {114}
8/25/2010 2:59:34 PM

This has bothered me forever. I'm so glad there's a venue where someone probably knows the answer and I feel inclined to actually dig, lol.  In this sentence where would you put the apostrophe for the year that's spoken by using only one digit?

A.  I graduated in the year 2003 or 4.  I'm not really sure.  Could have been '04 or 5.

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Answered by MoCCR {131}
8/25/2010 10:54:50 PM

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I think I'd do:  I graduated in 2003 or '4. 

But I'm just a court reporter with my references.  If I need to, I'll defer to the experts. 

Thanks MoCCR. That's the way I've been doing it, but everytime I look at it, it just looks weird, you know? LOL. Any English experts out there with an opinion?    -    LKBragg 8/26/2010 11:05:28 AM | Flag
Gosh, y'all all ROCK! Now I feel so much better, even though some of you do do it a little differently, listening to all of your explanations really helps me, I think, make a more informed decision. And, if I do do it a certain way, at least I know I'm not the only one out there, hooray! Thanks again!!    -    LKBragg 8/26/2010 11:07:25 AM | Flag


Answered by pinksteno {1009}
8/26/2010 10:06:54 PM

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I agree with Cindy. 

How about this: Two thousand and ten.   I transcribe  it as 2010.  

The attorneys here in New York love two say two thousand and (fill in the number) but the witnesses don't say "and."    Has anyone encountered this?

I must be sleepy, sorry about the two!    -    pinksteno 8/26/2010 10:07:57 PM | Flag
The attorneys here in New York love to say two thousand and (fill in the number).    -    pinksteno 8/26/2010 10:08:58 PM | Flag
I would transcribe 2010 the same way, whether they said and or not, same with money. In this age of computers, the attorneys want to be able to search for a dollar amount or date in their electronic transcipts. Transcribing them differently because of the word and could cause them to miss something in their search, resulting in something we never want: a very unhappy attorney.    -    MichelleMcLaughlin 8/27/2010 11:27:41 AM | Flag
Thanks for the confirmation, MIchelle. Good point about electronic transcripts.    -    pinksteno 8/27/2010 12:56:13 PM | Flag


Answered by MichelleMcLaughlin {235}
8/27/2010 11:21:33 AM

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I always transcribed it like this:  2004 0r  '-5, same thing with 5- or 10,000.   It adds clarity while being true to what was spoken.



Answered by MichelleMcLaughlin {235}
8/27/2010 11:26:17 AM

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I would transcribe 2010 the same way, whether they said "and" or not, same with money.  In this age of computers, the attorneys want to be able to search for a dollar amount or date in their electronic transcipts.  Transcribing them differently because of the word "and" could cause them to miss something in their search, resulting in something we never want:  a very unhappy attorney. 

I COMPLETELY subscribe to this theory -- if I were the lawyer, how would I be looking for this numerical nugget from my discovery? Simple example is a hundred versus 100. If it's about a hundred people, then, sure, keep it in words. But if someone says a hundred and fifty-three instead of one hundred, I still write 153. I would go nuts as a lawyer if the reporter wrote things out simply because someone started a specific figure with a hundred instead of one hundred. Glad to see someone else thinks similarly!    -    dunbarcsr 8/27/2010 2:24:32 PM | Flag


Comments from Facebook

Elsa Jorgensen
I put 2003 or `4. If they say oh four, I put `04. When they say four, I put `4. :)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Desiree Wright
That is exactly how I do it.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Denise Taylor
I just had oh ten and put it as `010. Not sure about my choice, but hadn`t ran into that one yet.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tracy Barksdale
Me three :D
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Stephanie Wilson
I also put `4
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wendy Childers
what they said :)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Vicki Jelley
You put, 2003 or `4.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Laura Landerman
Agree with first two.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Brenda Rogers
oh ten??? ay-yi-yi . . . but definitely `4.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Irene Elliott
agree with Vicki and Laura
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Malegxy Melendez
I`ve had so many say `010. Ppl say the darnedest things.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Crystal Storms
I started in 2003 or `04 is how I would do it.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Veronica Thanasiu Williams
I also put `03 or `4.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tanya McCreary
Just remember the apostrophe takes the place of the missing characters, so if they just say 4, it`s `4, but if they say 04, it`s `04.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Linda Sabor
I definitely agree with the majority here, `4 or `04, depending which they say.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Christine Lucente Luciano
How about when they say two-oh-four or two-oh-five, meaning 2004 or 2005???
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Evangeline Langston
2`04 or 2`05
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Nancy Taylor Valdez
Sorry, but I go with 2004 or 2005. I think the apostrophe in the middle is too confusing.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Deanne Hutson
Yeah, I agree with Nancy about Evangeline`s comment. Here`s another thing: I know you write it the same way, but it really bugs me when people say twenty ten and not two thousand ten ... grrrrr
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Rachel Hilker
Too, too confusing. My plan is just to keep things uniform when it comes to numbers. I`m paranoid the reader may not get it later and will think Im an idiot...especially if a new attorney takes over a case and orders a copy of an old transcript. If they said `03 and then just 4, I make them match anyway. I`m not changing the meaning...I`m just maintaining legibility.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Beth Sklar
But, Deanne, don`t you write it with the number bar 20 and 10? I prefer it when they say twenty ten.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Robin Gonzalez
My 2 cents: `4. It`s how they said it, and that`s the proper way.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Hugh Gunn
I think it should be 2003 or -4 and Could have been `04 or -5, although I don`t think it would be incorrect to make it 2003 or `4 and Could have been `04 or `5.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Laura Klingenberg Fowler
`04 or `5 or make it consistent, `04, `05. I don`t use number bar, so twenty ten is defined 2010. I would never put 2`04. That makes me look stupid even though they said it that way.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Leslie Johnson
I do it Robin`s way -- `04 or -5.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Rachel Hilker
I agree with the whole, That`s what they said, so that`s how I`m writing it, rule, I`m just saying that my first duty is to preserve the record, and my second duty is to make sure you can read the record. It is so hard to put the unscripted, spoken word on paper in a way that makes sense, and you are all amazing for putting so much care in that duty. You reporters and future reporters rock!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Cindy Gleason
It`s all about how you put it on paper, because as all court reporters know, many of the rules of English that we learned throughout our academic years just don`t apply sometimes. I agree, though, my first duty is to preserve the Record. The way I would do it, referring to 2003 or 4, is exactly that. Now, if they said 04, then I would use the apostrophe. I would never use an apostrophe with a single digit. That`s just the rule I`ve always followed. Hope it helps!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Mary Godinez Bonomo
I also do it 2003 or -4. @Christine, I transcribe two-o-four, two-o-five as 2/04, 2/05, similar to complete dates such as 2/4/10 or 2/5/10, 2/4/2010 or 2/5/2010.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Theresa Ferris Bartels
But Mary, if you write 2/04, 2/05 the meaning is then February `04/`05.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Katie Wood
`04 and `05
Friday, August 27, 2010

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