Ordinal numbers in Russian. Numerals in English Formation of numerals in English

Every day we use numbers: counting money, talking about age, remembering an address, waiting for a bus or writing down a phone number. It is not surprising that when learning English, the topic of numerals comes at the very beginning of learning. By correctly using English numerals in your speech, you will look like an educated and well-read person in the eyes of your interlocutor.

Let's look at the features of declension and the use of different types of numerals.

Ordinal and cardinal numbers

As in the Russian language, in English there are two types of numerals, ordinal (ordinal) and cardinal (cardinal).

What's the difference? In essence, their names speak for themselves.

Cardinal numbers indicate the number of objects, persons and answer the question How many? - How many?

One person - One person.

Nine players – Nine players.

Eleven questions – Eleven questions.

Below is a table of cardinal numbers with transcription, translation and educational features:

You can watch, listen and learn the correct pronunciation of numbers from 1 to 100 in English here:

Ordinals indicate the order of objects. Answer the question Which? - Which? They are usually preceded by the article the, because Ordinal numbers most often serve as definitions for a specific noun.

The first person - The first person.

The ninth plays - The ninth player.

The eleventh question - The eleventh question.

To form an ordinal number, use the suffix th. Of course, there are a few rules to follow:

• In compound ordinal numbers in English, the tail -th- is attached ONLY to the last word.
  147th – one hundred forty-seventh
• Tens that have a final vowel –y (ninety) change it to -ie-
  90 – ninety, 90th – ninetieth
• We should remember a few exceptions the first first, the second second, the third third, the fifth fifth, the ninth ninth, the twelfth twelfth

Features of the use of English numerals

• In English, when denoting numbers, pages, chapters, parts of books, classrooms, houses, trams etc. cardinal numerals are usually used. In this case, the cardinal number follows the noun it defines, and the noun is used without an article:
  chapter one - chapter one
  lesson three – lesson three
  page fifteen – page fifteen
  Open your books at page 23. - Open the books on page 23.
  Read paragraph 5. - Read the fifth paragraph.
  When using an ordinal number in similar cases, the ordinal number is placed before the noun, and the noun acquires the definite article: the first chapter - the first chapter
• H powerful hundred, thousand, million do not acquire the ending s as an indicator of the plural, however, if these words perform the function of nouns, that is, there is no numeral before them (and after them there is usually a preposition of), then s is added to the plural: hundreds of people hundreds of people, thousands of words thousands of words.
• In cardinal numbers, where there are hundreds and thousands, words denoting tens and units are added using the conjunction and:
  101 – one hundred and one.
  425 – four hundred and twenty-five.
  2036 – two thousand and thirty-six.
• Of the year are indicated by cardinal numbers. When reading year symbols, the chronological date is divided in half, with each half read as a separate number:
  1917 (nineteen seventeen)
  1848 (eighteen forty-eight)
  Exceptions are years at the turn of the century:
  1900 (nineteen hundred)
  1905 (nineteen o [əu] five)
  Since 2010, it has become increasingly common to read the year as two numbers: 2014 — twenty fourteen, 2020 — twenty twenty
  In this reading, the word year is not added:
  A. S. Pushkin was born in 1799 and died in 1837. - A. S. Pushkin was born in 1799 and died in 1837.
• To indicate dates The ordinal number is used: July 25 — The twenty-fifth of July or July the twenty-fifth
• When designating arithmetic operations a verb expressing the result of an action can be either singular or plural:
  Five plus four is nine. - Five plus four equals nine.
  Three times four are twelve. — Three times four equals twelve.
• Quantitative numerals over one used with a plural noun:
  There are three classes of reactors: slow, intermediate and fast. — There are three types of reactors: reactors with slow, intermediate and fast neutrons.
  In English two-digit and multi-digit numbers ending in one, are used with a plural noun:
  There are thirty-one days in January. — There are thirty-one days in January.
• Phone numbers, accounts, cards etc. are read not in hundreds or tens, as in Russian, but in individual numbers:
  555-757-23-11 – five, five, five, seven, five, seven, two, three, one, one.
  Double and triple digits are sometimes called double and triple:
  555-757-23-11 – triple five, seven, five, seven, two, three, double one.
• Zero in English it is called in different words: zero, o (read as a letter), nill, nought. In general, they are equivalent, but there are slight differences. Zero– the most reliable and neutral of these words, zero is a mathematical zero, a temperature zero (zero degrees). To avoid confusion, it is better to say “zero”. O– often used instead of “zero” in colloquial speech when you need to name a number (for example, in a phone number). Nill– literally “nothing”, usually used when talking about the score in a game: Argentina – five, Jamaica – nill. Nought– also “nothing”, practically not used in the USA, in British English it is already considered obsolete.

Fractions

In simple fractions, the numerator is denoted by a cardinal number, and the denominator by an ordinal number. The ordinal number, i.e. the denominator, takes the plural ending -sif the numerator is greater than one.

In contact with

There are two types of numerals in English: cardinal and ordinal. Their names speak for themselves: quantitative denote quantity, and ordinal denote order. What kind of order is meant? Let's look at examples of ordinal numbers in English.

Numeral as part of speech

The vocabulary of the English language is almost innumerable. And yet this inexhaustible variety is divided and then combined into certain groups - parts of speech. Numeral is one of them. Under its “roof” it combines words denoting the number or order of objects when counting. In other words, if a word answers the questions How many? (How many?

) or Which? (Which? Which?), then we have a numeral:

There are five interesting books on the shelf - There are five interesting books on the shelf (How many? (How many?) - five (five);
When Ann was six, she went to her first class - When Ann turned six, she went to first class (How many? (How many?) - six (six), Which? (Which?) first (first).

Classification

Education

Ordinal numbers in English are formed using the suffix -th, which is added to the base of the cardinal number: six - sixth (six - sixth), eleven - eleventh (eleven - eleventh), fourteen - fourteenth (fourteen - fourteenth).

Sometimes in writing ordinal numbers are indicated by a number. In these cases, the suffix -th is never lost or omitted, but is written along with the number (10 th - tenth - tenth, 29 th - twenty-ninth - twenty-ninth, 345 th - three hundred and forty-fifth - three hundred forty-fifth).

But each rule has its own characteristics and exceptions. The following table will discuss various nuances in the formation of ordinal numbers in English.

Sometimes the cardinal number appears in the meaning of an ordinal number. In this case, it stands after the defined noun and is used without an article (page two - page two, chapter three - chapter three, bus five - bus five).

Numeral- this is a part of speech that means a number, a certain number of objects, their order when counting.

Unlike the Russian language, numerals in English are not declined.

Cardinal numbers

Numerals that mean the number of objects (answer the question How many? - How many?) are called quantitative(The Cardinal numerals): one, twenty, two thousand - one, twenty, two thousand, etc.

The numbers from 1 to 12 are called simple.

Numerals from 13 to 19 are derivatives. They are formed using the suffix – teen. For example, seven+teen - seventeen, six+teen - sixteen. In such numerals as 13, 15, 18 some changes occur.

Derived numerals are also numerals that denote the tens 20, 30, 40, 50, etc. They are formed using the suffix -ty.

Composite numerals are numerals that denote tens with ones, starting from 21 (twenty-one) to 99. According to the analogy with the Russian language, to form a compound numeral in English, you should first name ten and then one: twenty-three - twenty-three, forty one - forty one, ninety nine - ninety nine.

Ordinals

Numerals that mean the order of objects or the place of an object when counting (answer the question Which (counting)? - Which?) are called ordinal(The Ordinal numerals): first, second, third - first, second, third, etc.

What else do you need to know about English numerals?

1. Numerals hundred [handred] - one hundred, thousand [southend] - thousand, million [milen] - million are used with the indefinite article A, if they matter one - one: a hundred - a hundred, a thousand - a thousand, a million - a million. The remaining cardinal numbers are used without an article: three books - three books, two men - two men, one house - one house.
2. The numerals hundred [handred] - one hundred, thousand [southend] - thousand, million [milen] - million, billion [bilen] - billion in the plural do not have endings if they are preceded by another numeral. If these same numerals are used as a noun to mean hundreds, thousands, millions of people, stars, etc., they have the ending -s and after them the preposition is used -of:hundreds of people - hundreds of people, millions of stars - millions of stars, thousands of workers - thousands of workers.
3. Between the designation of hundreds and tens there is a conjunction and(and): two hundred and twenty - 220, seven hundred and forty seven - 747.
4. Four-digit numbers can be read in two ways: 1234 (cardinal number!) - a thousand two hundred and thirty four or twelve hundred and thirty four.
5. 0 is read as nought [note] or oh [оу], in the American version as zero [zero].

In English, as well as in Russian, numerals are divided into cardinal numerals (Cardinal Numerals) and ordinal numerals (Ordinal Numerals).

Formation of cardinal numbers

1. Cardinal numbers from 13 to 19 inclusive are formed by adding the suffix -teen to the corresponding names of the units of the first ten: four-fourteen, seven-seventeen.

Note. Numerals with the suffix -teen have two stresses ("four"teen, "fifteen, etc.), with the stress on the last syllable being stronger than on the first. When these numerals are used with nouns, the stress falls on the first syllable, and the second syllable becomes unstressed: "fourteen"pens, "fifteen"pencils.

2. The names of cardinal numbers denoting tens are formed by adding the suffix -ty to the names of units: six – sixty, seven – seventy.

Some numerals are formed with the following declensions from the general rule:

• two – twelve – twenty
• three – thirteen – thirty
• five – fifteen – fifty
• eight – eighteen – eighty

The numeral forty is written differently from four fourteen.

3. Tens and ones are formed in the same way as in Russian:

• 22 twenty–two;
• 48 forty–eight

4. When denoting cardinal numbers, the digits of multi-digit numbers are separated by a comma:

• 7,000
• 5,550,000.

5. Between hundreds (or thousands and millions) followed by tens (or units, if there are no tens) in any category, the union and is always placed:

• 246 two hundred and forty-six
• 206 two hundred and six
• 5,050 five thousand and fifty
• 5,005 five thousand and five
• 3,525,250 three million five hundred and twenty-five thousand two hundred and fifty

6. Numerals 100; 1,000; 1,000,000 is used with the indefinite article a or the numeral one

• 100 a hundred / one hundred
• 1,002 a thousand and two / one thousand and two

7. The numerals hundred, thousand, million do not accept the ending -s in the plural:

• three hundred
• four thousand
• five million
• 3,005,240 three million five thousand two hundred and forty

Note. The numerals hundred, thousand and million become nouns and take an ending if they are used to denote an indefinite number of hundreds, thousands or millions. In this case, they are followed by a noun with the preposition of.

• Thousands of workers were streaming out of tlie plants. => Thousands of workers streamed out of the factories.

8. The noun that follows the numeral is used without a preposition and corresponds in Russian to a noun in the genitive case:

• three thousand books three thousand books
• ten students

Formation of ordinal numbers

I. Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -th to cardinal numbers:

• four =>fourth
• thirteen =>thirteenth
• seven =>seventh
• fifteen =>fifteenth

The formation of the first three numerals is an exception to this rule:

• one =>first
• two =>second
• three =>third

When forming the ordinal numbers fifth fifthi and twelfth twelfth, the letter v in the names of cardinal numbers (five, twelve) changes to f and the letter e is omitted; in the numeral eight the letter t is dropped, and in the numeral nine the letter e is omitted:

• five =>fifth
• twelve =>twelfth
• eight => eighth
• nine =>ninth

When forming ordinal numbers denoting tens, starting from 20, the final letter y changes to i and e is added before the suffix -th to indicate an additional sound [i]:

• twenty =>twentieth
• thirty =>thirtieth

2. When forming composite ordinal numbers, consisting of two or more numbers, only the last number takes the form of an ordinal number, and the preceding numbers are expressed as cardinal numbers, just as in the Russian language:

• twenty-third => twenty-third
• five hundred => five hundredth
• eighty-seventh => eighty-seventh

Nouns identified by an ordinal number are used with a definite article. The article is preserved before the ordinal number, even if the noun is not expressed, but the person is implied.

• The first law of motion has the idea of ​​motion and the idea of ​​force. => The first law of motion contains the concept of motion and the concept of force.
• The second basket was the same size as the first. => The second basket was the same size as the first.

Note. The use of the indefinite article with an ordinal numeral gives the ordinal numeral an additional meaning corresponding to Russian one more:

• Under certain circumstances, a second electron may enter the outer orbit. => Under certain circumstances, a second (another) electron may enter the outer orbit.

In English, as well as in Russian, numerals are divided into cardinal numerals (Cardinal Numerals) and ordinal numerals (Ordinal Numerals).

Formation of cardinal numbers

1. Cardinal numbers from 13 to 19 inclusive are formed by adding the suffix -teen to the corresponding names of the units of the first ten: four-fourteen, seven-seventeen.

Note. Numerals with the suffix -teen have two stresses ("four"teen, "fifteen, etc.), with the stress on the last syllable being stronger than on the first. When these numerals are used with nouns, the stress falls on the first syllable, and the second syllable becomes unstressed: "fourteen"pens, "fifteen"pencils.

2. The names of cardinal numbers denoting tens are formed by adding the suffix -ty to the names of units: six – sixty, seven – seventy.

Some numerals are formed with the following declensions from the general rule:

• two – twelve – twenty
• three – thirteen – thirty
• five – fifteen – fifty
• eight – eighteen – eighty

The numeral forty is written differently from four fourteen.

3. Tens and ones are formed in the same way as in Russian:

• 22 twenty–two;
• 48 forty–eight

4. When denoting cardinal numbers, the digits of multi-digit numbers are separated by a comma:

• 7,000
• 5,550,000.

5. Between hundreds (or thousands and millions) followed by tens (or units, if there are no tens) in any category, the union and is always placed:

• 246 two hundred and forty-six
• 206 two hundred and six
• 5,050 five thousand and fifty
• 5,005 five thousand and five
• 3,525,250 three million five hundred and twenty-five thousand two hundred and fifty

6. Numerals 100; 1,000; 1,000,000 is used with the indefinite article a or the numeral one

• 100 a hundred / one hundred
• 1,002 a thousand and two / one thousand and two

7. The numerals hundred, thousand, million do not accept the ending -s in the plural:

• three hundred
• four thousand
• five million
• 3,005,240 three million five thousand two hundred and forty

Note. The numerals hundred, thousand and million become nouns and take an ending if they are used to denote an indefinite number of hundreds, thousands or millions. In this case, they are followed by a noun with the preposition of.

• Thousands of workers were streaming out of tlie plants. => Thousands of workers streamed out of the factories.

8. The noun that follows the numeral is used without a preposition and corresponds in Russian to a noun in the genitive case:

• three thousand books three thousand books
• ten students

Formation of ordinal numbers

I. Ordinal numbers are formed by adding the suffix -th to cardinal numbers:

• four =>fourth
• thirteen =>thirteenth
• seven =>seventh
• fifteen =>fifteenth

The formation of the first three numerals is an exception to this rule:

• one =>first
• two =>second
• three =>third

When forming the ordinal numbers fifth fifthi and twelfth twelfth, the letter v in the names of cardinal numbers (five, twelve) changes to f and the letter e is omitted; in the numeral eight the letter t is dropped, and in the numeral nine the letter e is omitted:

• five =>fifth
• twelve =>twelfth
• eight => eighth
• nine =>ninth

When forming ordinal numbers denoting tens, starting from 20, the final letter y changes to i and e is added before the suffix -th to indicate an additional sound [i]:

• twenty =>twentieth
• thirty =>thirtieth

2. When forming composite ordinal numbers, consisting of two or more numbers, only the last number takes the form of an ordinal number, and the preceding numbers are expressed as cardinal numbers, just as in the Russian language:

• twenty-third => twenty-third
• five hundred => five hundredth
• eighty-seventh => eighty-seventh

Nouns identified by an ordinal number are used with a definite article. The article is preserved before the ordinal number, even if the noun is not expressed, but the person is implied.

• The first law of motion has the idea of ​​motion and the idea of ​​force. => The first law of motion contains the concept of motion and the concept of force.
• The second basket was the same size as the first. => The second basket was the same size as the first.

Note. The use of the indefinite article with an ordinal numeral gives the ordinal numeral an additional meaning corresponding to Russian one more:

• Under certain circumstances, a second electron may enter the outer orbit. => Under certain circumstances, a second (another) electron may enter the outer orbit.