Cardinal and ordinal numbers 3840S
Objectives
Dialogue comprehension: Understanding a dialogue using cardinal and ordinal
numbers.
Learn the correct pronunciation and uses of cardinal and ordinal numbers.
Be able to use numbers when describing yourself.
Dialogue
TASK: Read the following dialogue with your teacher. Focus on cardinal numbers in
blue and ordinal numbers in red.
Julie: Hi, Alex! Wow! You are third in the queue!
Alex: Yes, I was here early. I do not want to queue like on the 7th of July.
Julie: I see. It is a good idea to come early. There are more than one hundred
people in the line!
Alex: I am glad I am not one-hundredth in the queue!
Julie: Ihave
can imagine! Anyway, I must say goodbye. I need to be home in one hour. I
five days off, so see you next week!
Alex: OK. Have a nice holiday.
Julie: Thank you very much.
Queue (BrE) / line (AmE)
Illustration
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal Numbers refer to a quantity.
Example:
The size of a group: six people are in the room.
0 zero, oh, nought, nil 24 twenty-four
1 one
2 two 25 twenty-five
26 twenty-six
3 three 27 twenty-seven
4 four
5 five 28 twenty-eight
29 twenty-nine
6 six 30 thirty
7 seven
8 eight 40 forty
50 fifty
9 nine 60 sixty
10 ten
11 eleven 70 seventy
12 twelve 80 eighty
90 ninety
13 thirteen 100 a/one hundred
14 fourteen 101 a hundred and one
15 fifteen 110 a hundred and ten
16 sixteen 200 two hundred
17 seventeen 1,000 a/one thousand
18 eighteen 1,001 a thousand and one
19 nineteen 1,010 a thousand and ten
20 twenty 2,000 two thousand
21 twenty-one 1,000,000 a/one million
22 twenty-two 1,000,000,000 a/one billion
23 twenty-three
Zero/Nought/Nil
0 = "nil"
in football and other sports, for scores of 0 = "zero"
0 (AmE: zero ) in temperatures to refer to freezing
point (0° Celsius)
0 ="nought" 0 = "oh"
in mathematics (AmE: zero) for telephone numbers and flight
numbers
Expressing years
We normally say a year in two parts. In the case of years ending in "00", we say the
second part in "hundred":
1058 ten fifty-eight
1706 seventeen hundred and six (or 'seventeen oh six')
1865 eighteen sixty-five
1900 nineteen hundred
Sometimes we use the word "thousand":
2011 two thousand and eleven (or 'twenty eleven')
2002 two thousand and two
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers refer to a position in a series.
Example:
The sixth person is John.
The fifth of July.
1st first 12th twelfth 23rd twenty-third
2nd second 13th thirteenth 24th twenty-fourth
3rd third 14th fourteenth 25th twenty- fifth
4th fourth 15th fifteenth 30th thirtieth
5th fifth 16th sixteenth 40th fortieth
6th sixth 17th seventeenth 50th fiftieth
7th seventh 18th eighteenth 60th sixtieth
8th eighth 19th nineteenth 70th seventieth
9th ninth 20th twentieth 80th eightieth
10th tenth 21st twenty-first 90th ninetieth
11th eleventh 22nd twenty-second 100th one-hundredth
Practice
Practice One
TASK: Look at the pictures, and then answer the following questions. Discuss your
answers with your teacher.
1. What date is it?
2. What number is your hotel room?
3. How much is the bank note worth?
4. What is the speed limit?
5. What temperature is it?
Practice Two
TASK: Imagine these people are standing in the following order in a queue. Complete
the sentences about them. Then make sentences about the remaining five people,
and read them to your teacher.
1. John
2. Sarah
1. John is ____ in the queue. 3. Jenny
4. Sam
2. _____ is fifth in the queue 5. Ashley
3. _____ is eighth in the queue. 6. Annabel
4. Mark is _____ in the queue. 7. Claire
5. Sam is _____ in the queue.
8. Chris
9. Tim
10. Mark
Practice Three
TASK: Listen as your teacher reads some numbers. Decide which one they are saying
in each case.
1. a. 13 b. 30 c. 30th
2. a. 15 b. 50 c. 5
3. a. 60th b. 60 c. 16
4. a. 14 b.40 c. 4
5. a. 6 b. 16 c. 60
Transfer
Discussion
TASK: Tell your teacher about the following, and ask them for similar information.
You can make up answers.
your house number
if you are the first/second/third... child of your family
your age
the date (with year)
if your current job is your first/second ... job
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