Numbers
We use numbers to count people, animals, things, and ideas. English has two main types of numbers:
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Cardinal numbers (one, two, three, etc.) tell us how many.
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Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) tell us the order or position of something.
Cardinal Numbers
Cardinal numbers are used for counting.
Examples:
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one book
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two students
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three cars
Important Rules
1. Write Small Numbers as Words
In most writing, numbers from one to nine are written as words.
Examples:
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I have three brothers.
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She bought seven apples.
2. Use Hyphens in Compound Numbers
Numbers from 21 to 99 that are not multiples of ten are written with a hyphen.
Examples:
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twenty-one
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thirty-four
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fifty-six
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ninety-nine
✅ twenty-three
❌ twenty three
3. Large Numbers
Use a number or a before large numbers.
Examples:
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one hundred
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two thousand
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a million
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three million
Remember: hundred, thousand, and million do not take -s when a number comes before them.
✅ two hundred
✅ five thousand
✅ ten million
❌ two hundreds
❌ five thousands
4. Use Commas in Large Numbers
Use commas to make large numbers easier to read.
Examples:
Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers show the position or order of something.
Examples:
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first place
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second floor
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third chapter
Common Ordinal Numbers
| Number |
Ordinal |
| 1 |
first (1st) |
| 2 |
second (2nd) |
| 3 |
third (3rd) |
| 4 |
fourth (4th) |
| 5 |
fifth (5th) |
| 6 |
sixth (6th) |
| 7 |
seventh (7th) |
| 8 |
eighth (8th) |
| 9 |
ninth (9th) |
| 10 |
tenth (10th) |
Examples:
Ordinal Numbers in Dates
When writing dates, English often uses ordinal numbers.
Examples:
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September 2nd
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June 21st
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October 15th
You may also see dates written without the ending:
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September 2
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June 21
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October 15
Both styles are common.
Remember
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Cardinal numbers tell us how many.
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Ordinal numbers tell us the order.
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Write numbers from one to nine as words.
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Use hyphens in numbers such as twenty-one and sixty-five.
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Write two hundred, not two hundreds.
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Use commas in large numbers: 1,000,000.
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Use ordinal numbers for positions and dates: first, second, September 2nd.
ESLwriter