196 How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper culture response” is awkward; “infected tissue culture response” may be baffling, (Just what is infected?) NUMBERS Preferred usage regarding numbers varies among style manuals and among journals. The Chicago Manual of Style (2003) favors spelling out “whole numbers from one through one hundred” and using numerals for other numbers. However, it notes that many publications, for example in science, spell out only single-digit numbers. The Style Manual Com- mittee, Council of Biology Editors (1994), said to use numerals for any- thing that can be counted; however, it later noted some exceptions (see www.councilscienceeditors.org/publications/ssf_numberstyle.cfim).These exceptions are being included in the seventh edition of the style manual, Scientific Style and Format, that this committee prepares for what is now the Council of Science Editors. If style for numbers is not specified otherwise, here are some widely acceptable guidelines to follow: One-digit numbers should be spelled out; ‘numbers of two or more digits should be expressed as numerals. You would write “three experiments” or “13 experiments.” Now the exception: With standard units of measure, always use numerals. You would write “3 ml" or “13 mL.” The only exception to the exception is that you should not start a sentence with a numeral. You should either reword the sentence or spell out both the number and the unit of measurement. For example, your sentence could start “Reagent A (3 ml) was added” or it could start “Three milliliters of reagent A was added.” Actually, there is still another exception, although itcomes up rarely. In a sentence containing a series of numbers, atleast one of which is of more than one digit all of the numbers should be expressed as rumerals, (Example: “I gave water to 3 scientists, milketo 6 scientists, and beer to 11 scientists.) ODDS AND ENDS Apropos of nothing, one might mention that English is a strange language. Isn’t it curious that the past tense of “have (“had”) is converted to the past participle simply by repetition: He had had a serious illness. Stran- ‘ely, itis possible to string together 11 “hads” in a row in a grammatically correct sentence. If one were to describe a teacher's reaction to themes tuned in by students John and Jim, one could say: John, where Jim had hhad “had,” bad had “had had”; “had had” had had an unusual effect on the teacher. That peculiar word “that” can also be strung together, as in By permission of Johnny H; this sentence: He said, in s that student referred to w ferred to. ‘The “hads” and the “t ‘Asa further illustration, he want to try on your ftienc group and ask the memb necessary to the followin, man is a savage.” The ave the sentence needs no pu among the male chauvini ‘prepositional phrase: “We ‘matically, this is also con liberated man, will place a ‘Then we have “Woman— Seriously, we should a ‘can have “savage” results not scientific. Good guides Use of sexist and other bia 1997), Some style manuals Let us end where we st syntax, Whenever compreh usually responsible, Someti prehension is not lost, as in t fine German Shepherd dog, fond of children.” “For sale ‘But look at this sentene peated in the scientific literat heat-stable polypeptide isol: