1

According to these following articles:

all decimals use plural form for its units regardless of the integer part being zero, one, two, etc.

i.e.: 0.8 miles, 1.8 miles, 2.8 miles, etc.

Let us now assume we have "$1.01", a decimal with money units. Although the written form contains decimal point, which is the correct way of saying it <A> or <B>?
(Note: what is in between "[ ]" below is optional, you can say it with or without it)

  • <A>: one dollar   [and] one [cent]      =   both singular form of units
  • <B>: one dollars [and] one [cents]    =   both plural form of units

I believe for "$1.01", although it is in decimal format, <A> is the correct one. This is because the decimal point act rather like a delimiter between 2 units (dollar and cent) with 1 as a value ... rather than as a decimal point with 1 unit (dollar).

Out of curiosity, if someone said "$1.01" in decimal format with 1 unit (dollar), then is the following the only valid way of saying it (with plural form of the units).

  • one point zero one dollars
mak
  • 141
  • This isn't really on-topic; one point zero one dollars is correct but almost never encountered outside an explanatory mathematics lesson (where it would be stressed that though 'one point zero/o one dollars/pounds' follow the same form as 'one point zero one miles', 'one point zero one degrees', 'one point zero one square feet' etc, no one ever uses this for money. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 30 '20 at 11:08
  • In fact, this often causes confusion among children: though 'one dollar 33 [cents]' are correct, 'one point thirty-three miles' is an incorrect way to express 1·33 mile/s. As does the fact that rules in science are usually that the singular form of units be used. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 30 '20 at 11:42
  • Thanks Edwin Ashworth. I see. It seems that it is different for which community you belong to. Assuming we are in the community of The Chicago Manual of Style (publishing ???), I wonder which will be correct above ... or ? – mak Oct 01 '20 at 00:05
  • 1
    The plural form dollars is with decimal notation not currency. B is incorrect, outlandish, in any register / style guide. – Edwin Ashworth Oct 01 '20 at 11:07

0 Answers0