Numerals, ordinal numbers and grammar
Numerals are a type of numbers that are used to represent quantity or position. Ordinals are their specific subtype, although are often differentiated.
For the most part, numerals are used to represent a specific quantity or amount. There are three main types of numerals:
1. Cardinal numerals: These are numbers that are used to represent a specific quantity, such as one, two, three, etc. Cardinal numerals can be written as words (e.g. “one”) or as digits (e.g. “1”).
2. Fractional numerals: These are numbers that represent a portion or a part of a whole, such as one-half, one-third, etc. Fractional numerals are usually written using a combination of a cardinal numeral and a fraction bar (e.g. “1/2”).
3. Ordinal numerals: These are numbers that are used to indicate position or order, such as first, second, third, etc. Ordinal numerals are usually written as words (e.g. “first”) or as digits followed by the suffix “-th” (e.g. “1st”).
Ordinals are formed from cardinal numbers by adding the suffix “-th,” “-nd,” “-rd,” or “-st” to the end of the number, depending on the number itself. For example:
– 1st (first)
– 2nd (second)
– 3rd (third)
– 4th (fourth)
– 5th (fifth)
… and so on.
Ordinals are used to indicate the position or order of things in a sequence, such as the months of the year (January is the first month), the days of the week (Sunday is the first day), or the floors of a building (the ground floor is the first floor).
So, to summarize, numerals are numbers that represent quantity or amount, while ordinals are words that indicate position or order. Numerals can be written as words (e.g. “one”) or as digits (e.g. “1”), while ordinals are always written as words (e.g. “first”) or as digits followed by the suffix “-th” (e.g. “1st”).
You might want to try your strengths with a few tasks!
#1: You’re about to eat a specific amount of different foods. Write down how much is remaining, in fractional numerals. I ate half of the cake. There’s still ______ remaining.As they ate three lollipops of eight in total, there’s still _____ of the whole left.I’ve saved 60% of money for the trip, so there’s still ______ to save.The professor said one in three of us thirty will pass. That’s ____!I have never been good with returning books. Out of five I’ve read, I’ve returned only two. That’s _____ . |
#2: Create ordinals out of capital numbers. 5 → 15 →55 → 100 → 113 → |
#3: You are working as a data analyst and have been asked to prepare a report on the sales performance of different products in the company. You have been given the following information: Product A: sold 20 unitsProduct B: sold 40 unitsProduct C: sold 30 units Organise them, create a list – which product did the best? Which product did the worst? |