Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used for counting and saying how See also:
many of something there are. Ordinal numbers give the Singular and plural nouns 69
Quantity 75 Approximate quantity 76
position of something in an ordered list.
CARDINAL NUMBERS free
tree
84
58
35
SAYING NUMBERS
In US English, people say “zero” for the number “0,” whereas in UK English, other words for
“0” are possible. When listing repeated numbers, for example part of a phone number, in
US English each number is said individually. In UK English, other expressions are possible.
UK only. UK only. UK only.
UK only. UK only. UK only. UK only.
198
You are a happy person. This is an honest review of the house.
LARGE NUMBERS
You can say
“one hundred”
or “a hundred.”
Both are correct.
Don’t add “s” to
“hundred,” “thousand,”
or “million.”
No “s” at
the end.
Commas are used to separate
long rows of figures.
FURTHER EXAMPLES SIMILAR SOUNDING
In UK English, add “and” before the last two NUMBERS
numbers to say numbers higher than one hundred. It is important to stress the correct syllable
In US English, this is considered informal. in these numbers to avoid confusion.
Stress the Stress the
last syllables. first syllables.
“And” goes before
1985 “seventy-six.”
Use commas to separate millions,
thousands, and hundreds.
199
ORDINAL NUMBERS
twenty
DATES 02nd
In the US, people 25
In US English, the number
often describe dates is written after the month.
by writing cardinal
numbers and saying
ordinal numbers.
In the UK, people use
ordinal numbers to
write and say dates.
My birthday is on February 08
February the 08th
the 08th of February
200
FRACTIONS 8/4
5/2
You might see fractions written out as words. Aside from “half ” (1⁄2) and “quarter” (1⁄4),
the bottom number of a fraction is written or spoken as an ordinal number.
5/3
Use ordinal numbers for Use cardinal numbers for Use “and” to link
the bottom of a fraction. the top of a fraction. a whole number
and a fraction.
DECIMALS
6.57
Decimals are always written as numbers, not words. The decimal point is spoken
as “point,” and all numbers after the decimal point are spoken separately.
Decimal points are written
There are three ways of saying 0.85 in English using a period,
decimals that begin with 0. or full stop.
UK only. This is not said as “three
point ninety-seven.”
PERCENTAGES
The % symbol is written and spoken as “percent.” “Per cent” is also sometimes 15%
written in UK English. Percentages are normally written as numbers, not words.
58.4%
201
Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used for counting and saying how
many of something there are. Ordinal numbers give the
position of something in an ordered list.
MARK WHETHER EACH WRITE EACH NUMBER IN
NUMBER IS CARDINAL OR ORDINAL ITS OTHER FORM 101 - one hundred
and one
Cardinal Cardinal
Ordinal nine thousand
Ordinal
848
Cardinal Cardinal 417
Ordinal Ordinal
six thousand five hundred
Cardinal Cardinal nine hundred and fifty-eight
Ordinal Ordinal 97
three thousand, five hundred and
Cardinal Cardinal ninety
Ordinal Ordinal three hundred and fifty-nine
MATCH THE FIGURES TO THE CORRECT TEXT
178
MATCH THE FRACTIONS, DECIMALS, AND PERCENTAGES TO
THE CORRECT TEXT
179
