I need to list off a few large numbers (with thousands separators) in a sentence.
The total number of observations, N=55,123, comprises 92596, 51456,
7714 and 2445 from the first, second, third and fourth rounds,
respectively.
I've tried structuring it as follows, but it doesn't look right.
The total number of observations (N=55,123) comprises 92,596; 51,456;
7,714 and 2,445 from the second to fifth round, respectively.
Any suggestions as to the best way to do this?
Best Answer
As @Matt Samuel and @deadrat state in their comments, "Consider using a table." Or a list.
[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Tables] Section 2.1 Appropriate use, Extract: Tables are a way of presenting links, data, or information in rows and columns. They are a complex form of list, formatted into a systematic grid pattern. Tables might be useful for presenting mathematical data such as multiplication tables, comparative figures, or sporting results.
Consider your: The total number of observations, N=55,123, comprises 92596, 51456, 7714 and 2445 from the first, second, third and fourth rounds, respectively.
V.
The total number of observations, N=55,123, comprises of:
V.
A table.
From personal experience as soon as more than 3 sets of numerals need to be displayed it all starts to look very messy and confusing. Changing style to a list or a table cleans up the text enabling to the reader to extract the data they need easily.
How you format the numerals will depend on your target audience.