myQBook English Grammar Concepts

Slashes (/)

Slashes have many uses in writing such as:

1.       Slashes are often used in dates to separate the month, day, and year.

For example:

7/15/12

Here, slashes are used to separate the month (July), the day (the 15^th), and the year (2012).

2.       Slashes are also used in fractions.

For example:

½ of the chickens laid eggs that day.

Here, a slash is used to separate the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.

3.       Slashes are used to replace the word “per” in rates.

For example:

Why would the police pull me over for driving at 5 miles/hour?

Lisa was in such a rush that she was typing at 110 words/minute to finish her paper.

Here, a slash is used to replace the word “per” in “5 miles per hour” and "110 words per minute".

4.       Slashes are used to replace the word “or” in the different forms of “he/she”.

For example:

I need to find whoever left his/her coat here.

Here, a slash is used to replace the word “or” in “his or her”.

5.       Slashes are used to replace the word “to” in ratios.

For example:

Our income/expense ratio indicated that our business was quite successful this year.

Here, a slash is used to replace the word “to” in the ratio “income to expense”.

6.       Slashes are sometimes used to replace the word “and”.

For example:

The September/October edition of this magazine is dull.

Here, a slash is used to replace the word “and” in “September and October”.

7.       Slashes are used in certain abbreviated words.

Consider the following examples:

I can't believe the applicant wrote that his name is N/A.

He works on that invention 24/7.

In the first example, a slash is used in the abbreviation for “not applicable”

In the second example, a slash is used in the abbreviation for “24 hours a day, 7 days a week”.
The abbreviation 24/7, however, is not used in formal writing.