Recognizing ranges
Which sentences are correct?
- Read sections A–B.
- Read sections A and B.
- Sauté the garlic for 1–2 minutes.
- Sauté the garlic for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Give each student 2–3 crayons.
- Give each student 2 or 3 crayons.
- Divide the class into small groups of 3–4 students.
- Divide the class into small groups of 3 or 4 students.
- My sourdough-bread recipe calls for 4–5 cups of flour.
- My sourdough-bread recipe calls for 4 or 5 cups of flour.
The correct sentences are B, C, F, H, and I.
Why?
A range is the set of values between and including specified lower and upper limits. The values in a range can be numbers (e.g., 1–10), letters (e.g., A–Z), or words (e.g., January–December).
The en dash means “up to and including” and may be read as either “to” or “through,” depending on the context. For example, ages 8–11 is read as “ages eight to eleven,” and April–June is read as “April through June.”
To represent a range in writing, place an en dash (–) between the two limits, with no space on either side. On a PC, using the numeric keypad, type Alt + 0150 for an en dash. On a Mac, simultaneously type the option key and the hyphen key (-).
Do not use either “from” or “between” in front of a range written with an en dash. If using “from,” then write “to” in place of the en dash (e.g., from 10 to 12). If using “between,” then write “and” in place of the en dash (e.g., between 10 and 12).
The values that constitute a range can be either discrete or continuous. Discrete values are separate and distinct, with no intermediate terms between them (e.g., whole numbers). Examples of discrete quantities include marbles and people. Continuous values have intermediate terms between them to include all the values within a given interval (e.g., fractions). Examples of continuous quantities include time and temperature.
To illustrate the difference, let’s consider a range of 6–12. If the range represents discrete data, then “6–12” includes the numbers 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the range represents continuous data, then “6–12” includes all whole and fractional values between 6 and 12.
For both discrete and continuous data, a range must include more than the two limits. This means that two consecutive values can represent a continuous range but not a discrete range. For example, “2–3 minutes” is a range because many quantities of time exist between 2 minutes and 3 minutes (e.g., 2.5 minutes). But “2–3 people” does not constitute a range. There is no such thing as half a person. The proper construction for consecutive discrete values is to use “and” or “or” instead of an en dash, for example, “Questions 3 and 4” and “2 or 3 people.”
Now you know how to recognize and write a range—and what to do with values that don’t qualify.
