when writing the date

Question

is it acceptable to use the number  as well as the written form of the number  IE: C'est le 10 mai  and C'est le dix mai. or is one preferred over the other

Accepted Answer

Hi Tanya,
Normally dates will always use numbers. e.g.
C'est le 5 mai, nous sommes le 7 septembre , le 31 décembre...
In a text there are various rules including the one that numbers up to ten will be written using numbers. The others in their written form.
Also if at the beginning of a sentence a number will be spelt out.
Vingt des 30 élèves ont échoué à ce test = Twenty out of 30 pupils failed that test
Hope this helps!

Answer

I believe that would be the same as in English: for easier readability the number is preferred. In French texts I have always found the numerals in favor of the spelled-out numbers.

-- Chris (not a native speaker).