Question

Its using the phrase "Those of us that...." considered bad style?
Also, in an essay should I spell out "$50 dollars" or just write "$50"

Answer 1

If you incorporate the phrase with an interesting/well-crafted argument, then I don't think it's "bad style". If ever you're planning on writing a formal essay, I don't think it's wise to use pronouns like 'us', 'I', or 'you', not unless you're writing a first-person perspective essay for 'I'. Personally, I find it informal to direct the speech to a particular person or a particular group of people. I think it would be best if the manner of addressing the essay's audience is through words like "one (does not simply...)" or "s/he is not able to..." instead of "you do not simply" or "you are not able to..."

In an essay, I usually put 'fifty dollars'. If it's a technical essay and, I usually put 50 SGD (Singaporean dollars). '$50 dollars' is redundant because '$' already symbolizes the dollar.

Answer 2

Gab has some great points. If this is an academic paper, avoid using first and second person (especially second person). As she mentions there are occasions that using first person is allowed, but most of the time avoid it and NEVER use second person voice (you). It is bad style to refer to your audience because it gets you into a lot of trouble. When you use the word you in an essay, you are lumping your audience into one group and implying that what you are saying applies to them all and this very well may not, and usually isn't, the case at all. This may seem irrelevant since you are using the word 'us', which is a first person pronoun, BUT us Includes your audience in the context you are using it.

Saying, "After my team and I mixed the chemicals, we observed the reaction and the results astonished us," is okay because 'us' only refers to you and your team. However, saying "Those of us that listen to talk radio are more in-tune with the political climate," is not okay because you are including your audience (those that listen to talk radio) and making an assumption about them (that they are more in-tune with the political climate) that may or may not be true.

As for money, the Gregg Reference manual says to use figures to express exact or approximate amounts of money:
$7 over $1500 more than $5,000,000 a year
$13.50 nearly $50,000 OR: more than $5 million a year
a $50 bill almost $6500 a $5,000,000-a-year account
$350 worth less than $100,000 OR: a $5 million-a-year account
Spell out indefinite amounts of money:
a few million dollars many thousands of dollars
It is not necessary to ad a decimal point to whole dollar amounts that occur in a sentence:
I am enclosing a check for $125.
This model costs $12.50; that one costs $10.
In a column, however, if any amount contains cents, add a decimal point and two zeros to all the whole dollar amounts.
$150.50
25.00
8.05
Money in round amounts may be expressed partly in words:
$12 million
$10 1/2 million
$10.5 million
This style may be used only if the amount consistes of a whole number with nothing mare than a simple fraction or decimal following:
$10.2 billion is okay to do this, but $10,235,000 will not work.
Express related amounts the same way:
from $500,000 to $1,000,000, but not, from $500,000 to $1 million
Repeat the word 'million' (or 'billion') with each figure to avoid misunderstanding:
$5 million to $10 million, but not, $5 to $10 million.
-Gregg Reference Manual, sec. 413-416-