Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Biblethumper]

I say "two thousand twelve." Some say "twenty twelve." Ever since the year 2000 occurred, I simply pronounce all these years in a similar fashion. But I can see where some want to be consistent with the names for years like 1999.

I also reason that nineteen ninety is short for nineteen hundred and ninety, but I never heard anyone say twenty hundred instead of two thousand. (There are fifteen hundred chickens on this farm, but that farm has two thousand. Another farm has twenty two hundred.)

[thegadfly]

Why not teach both? You could even explain that it is a special case, which will last until 2099, and then resolve itself in 2100...and they should expect the same problem in the year 3001....

[deizio]

I'm a "twenty-ten" onwards man myself.. I taught the exception rule mentioned above, but only as far as 2009, with 2010 - 2012 being transition years, and the "two-thousand-x" style likely to decline from then on. There's a school of thought that says if the media is firm on referring to the London Olympics as "twenty-twelve" then that should shape public usage going forward.

As I understand it, the "twenty" forms are encouraged in style guides, certainly in the UK. I don't mind how the man in the street says it, and encouraged students to use whatever they felt comfortable with, but I do cringe a little now if I hear "two-thousand-twelve" or higher on the BBC.

[Captain Corea]

two thousand six for 2006.


Two thousand twelve or twenty twelve for 2010 and after.

[isisaredead]

twenty twelve. like CC said, anything above 2010 starts to go double numbers.

i really don't understand what the issue is.