Style Points
The Style Points check can be calibrated for a number of user preferences:
Years to skip for thousand separator:
If the preference is to use a thousand separator (e.g. the two commas in ‘1,000,000’), then false positives can occur with years (for example, the year 2000 should not have a comma in it). Use this range to specify a set of commonly used years that will be skipped in this check.
Skip ordinals followed by:
If the preference is to convert ordinals to being spelled out (e.g. ‘5th’ to ‘fifth’), then there are often exceptions that depend on the following word. If the numeral version of the ordinal is followed by these words, it will be skipped. For example, ‘5th century’ will not be converted if the word ‘century’ is in the list.
Convert ordinals below:
If the preference is to convert ordinals to being spelled out (e.g. ‘5th’ to ‘fifth’), then there are may be a limit depending on the number. Enter the number at which point ordinals should no longer be converted.
Skip abbreviations shorter than (characters):
If the preference is to convert abbreviation format to remove dots (e.g. ‘E.M.’ to ‘EM’), then false positives can occur as a result of initials. Use this box set the number of characters for which abbreviations should be skipped.
Minimum digits for thousand separator:
In some styles where a separator is used, that separator applies to numbers over 999. However, in others, it applies to numbers over 9999. This box allows you to specify the number of characters it takes before the separator is applied.
Skip decimal commas (avoids false positives):
International preferences for thousand separators can vary between full stops and commas. If converting to commas, it is therefore difficult to know whether full stops in numbers should be converted (they could mark a decimal or they could be a thousand separator). We recommend therefore that the conversion of full stops to commas is skipped. Untick this box to treat them as thousand separators that may need to be converted.
Skip percentage symbol conversion after digits:
Often the word ‘percent’ is preferred to the symbol (%). However, some styles prefer the symbol when it appears with numerals, but the spelled out form elsewhere. Tick this option to skip conversion where a digit is followed by the % symbol.
See also
Video Tutorials: Settings for Numbers, Oxford Commas and Style Points