Generalities on NUMERALS

-They come before an adjective that modifies a noun: Weve spent five fine days in the
mountains.
-the number 0 is pronounced:
1. nought when used in arithmetical quantity, signs, values
2. zero in degree and measuring instruments
3. 0 in telephone numbers, digit by digit
4. nil/nothing in sports: two-nil/to nothing
- the Cardinal number takes the plural when used like nouns: in hundreds, in his early
thirties, in her teens, your 4s, three nines and in stock expressions: dressed up to the nines
(smartly), to be at sixes and sevens (confused), to be on all fours.
- in different expressions such as to be ten times better, to talk nineteen to the dozen, to have
his forty winks, the hundred and one thorny problems, a thousand and one things to look
after, a thousand thanks to, until two or three years ago (a few), once or twice (a little),,
some thirty years ago, the next two years, the 30 or so questions
- The Ordinal numeral- e.g.: He scored four times in a row./ He wastes half of his time
(fraction)
-it is used in expressions denoting uncertainty: after the twenty-somethingth attempt Ive
decided to give up./ The nth term / For the umpteenth time
- in idiomatic expressions: in the seventh heaven, third party, sixth sense, second sight
- Fractions are used in expressions: half naked/baked, not a quarter as good as it should be,
two and a half.
-Collective numerals: couple, pair, score, dozen, brace
-Multiplicative (tenfold, triple, single, double ) /Distributive numbers (equal groups: by tens,
one at a time, in twos/in tens, by the dozen- Lets solve the problems one at a time.

- Expressions: to talk nineteen to the dozen

Dressed up to the nines
Go on all fours
Be at sixes and sevens
A hundred and one things
Some thirty years ago
At the eleventh hour
Myriads of
On the wrong side of fifty/the clock
Twenty or so questions
-

Concord with the verb: in terms of measurement, it takes the singular- Four years
has seemed a long time. Thirty dollars was paid for this.

In arithmetical statements: Two times two is four./ Four from six leaves two

Exercises on Numerals (Mihai Zdrenghea, Anca Greere, A Practical English Grammar (with
exercises), Cluj, Clusium, 1997):
REVISION P.240 / THE NUMERAL
Fill in the blanks:
1. Two meters of this material ...... not enough for a skirt. (is, are)
2. Here ....one hundred shillings. I counted them. (is, are)
3. Six or seven oclock ...... a good time to start the day. (is, are)
4. Six hundred pounds a month ...not keep body and soul together. (do, does)
5. Half of the goods ...... been damaged. (has, have)
REVISION P.241 / THE NUMERAL
twice a week/month, four times a year, in tens, the fifties, by the dozen, half a dozen, two
and a half kilometres, on the twelfth of, the first two, act 3
Translate into English using the expressions above:
1. Semestrul acesta am avut curs de literatur englez de dou ori pe sptmn: o dat literatura
secolului XIX si a doua oar curs special unde am putut opta pentru diverse teme.
2. Cnd am lichidat biblioteca catedrei am predat crtile bibliotecii faculttii cnd cte zece cnd
cte douazeci.
3. Anii cincizeci au fost ani grei pentru economia noastr.
4. Cte milioane de locuitori are Romnia dup ultimul recensmnt, 22 de milioane?
5. N-am cumprat ou pentru c se vindeau cte o duzin si eu aveam nevoie doar de trei.
6. Rezultatul acelei mprtiri complicate a fost de 17,233.

7. Pentru rochia ei de sear Ann a cumprat 3,25 metri de material si o jumtate de duzin de
nasturi.
8. Copilul mnc ncet ambele jumtti de mr.
9. Excursionistii au fcut un popas de o jumtate de or nainte de a continua drumul spre satul
care se afla la o distant de sapte kilometri si jumtate.
10. Am intrat n vacant n doisprezece ale lunii.
11. Mi s-a spus c un al doilea raport, mai detaliat, despre descoperirea din ziua aceea ar fi
binevenit.
12. La primirea premiilor el a fost al o sutoptsprezecelea pe list.
13. Azi a vizitat expozitia al o mie o sut treizecisiunulea vizitator.
14. Dintre cele cinci povesti pe care i le-am spus, copilului i-au plcut foarte mult primele dou
si m tot ruga s i le repet.
15. Noul actor a aprut n actul trei al piesei, scena 4.
16. Cele povestite de tine cred c s-au ntmplat n timpul Papei Alexandru, care a fost al saselea
Borgia.
17. Am retinut dou bilete de clasa a doua la acceleratul de 1.27 Cluj-Bucuresti.
18. Pn mine trebuie s corectez cteva zeci de teste, cam zece din ele apartin unor studenti
buni, deci sunt usor de corectat.
19. Acest al doilea exercitiu este de dou ori mai lung dect primul.
20. Poate un elev din clasa a cincea s spun cte mii sunt n trei milioane?
REVISION P.242-1 / THE NUMERAL
Translate into Romanian:
1. What time shall we meet? Nineish or tennish, I dont know yet.
2. Thousands upon thousands agree to the conclusions of the Committee regarding future
development.
3. She began working in that office some six years back and elbowed her way to the top.
4. Roughly five of the guests knew the piece of music all were speaking about.
5 How much did these two volumes cost? I cant remember exactly: something like forty-five
dollars.
6. My little daughter has been at the kindergarten for three months and she has already learned a
couple of dozen of poems and songs.
7. Mary paid for her furcoat twelve thousand odd, but Lucy paid for hers ten odd thousand.
8. That will cost her something about six pounds.
9. Myriads of stars had appeared in the sky.
10. They were selling apples in printers dozens.
11. When working the field, the peasant used a span of horses or two span of oxen.
12. The hunter finally succeeded to shoot two brace of ducks.
13. She is on the wrong side of fifty
REVISION P.242-2 / THE NUMERAL
by the hundreds, by the thousands, first, secondly, over forty, tens of, a thousand and one,
an hour and forty minutes, thousands of, more than half an hour
Translate into English using the expressions above whenever necessary:
1. Acesta este singurul Van Gogh n colectia mea.
2. n clasa a patra elevii nvat s numere cu sutele si cu miile.

3. Cnd mi-a pltit cartea n-am numrat banii si doar ajungnd acas mi-am dat seama c mi-a dat
cu cinci sute de lei mai putin.
4. Cnd mi-a dat numrul de telefon al Elenei mi-a spus cu o cifr mai mult pentru un numr de
telefon din Londra.
5. I-am admirat rochia, dar mi-a rspuns c este o rochie de toate zilele.
6. Fiul meu s-a bucurat mult cnd i-am fcut cadou traducerea lui Galland din O mie si una de
nopti.
7. Operatia a durat o or si patruzeci de minute.
8. Fcnd operatiile aritmetice a gresit la rezultatul final cu 2,47.
9. Editura Ion Creang a reeditat n 1993 Basmele lui Mihai Eminescu, un volum costnd
doar 850 lei.
10. Cartea despre Istoria artelor plastice pe care am cumprat-o la Londra m-a costat
cinsprezece lire si saizeci de penny.
11. Mi-ai adus att de repede cursul cerut, mii de multumiri.
12. Nu te-am vzut de atta timp si am o mie si unu de lucruri s-si spun.
13. Ti-am spus de zeci de ori s nu faci asta si continui totusi s fii neasculttor.
14. Se tine foarte bine; desi are saptezeci de ani nu pare unul trecut de cinzeci si cinci.
15. Desi mi-a promis c m primeste imediat, m-a fcut s astept mai mult de o jumtate de or.
16. Corul era alctuit din fete de opt si peste opt ani.
17. n S.U.A. sunt mai multe orase cu peste dou milioane de locuitori.
18. Aceast film este permis tinerilor de peste optsprezece ani.
19. Iat ce trebuie s faci: n primul rnd, s-i alegi drumul pe care vrei s-l urmezi, n al doilea
rnd, caut s ai ct mai mult discernmnt n tot ce faci.
REVISION P.243 / THE NUMERAL
Rewrite in letters the numbers that appear in the text. When they appear in brackets put in
the correct form.
1. We shall meet at 7.45 unless, you have other plans.
2. 0.435 was the result of that problem.
3. 12,345 x 3.46 -4 + .5= 42716.7
4. The tomatoes cost $2.15 per kilo.
5. What date is it today? It is 3/12/93.
6. Look at Martin! He is sitting in the (3) row the (5) bank.
7. I tried it (2), I tried it (3) I tried it several times and still I couldnt do it.
8. The concert was supposed to start at exactly 14.25 but it actually began at 14.30.
9. He walked 1.5 miles and had 2.25 still to go.
10. They worked in (groups of ten).
11. The book had (around 300 pages).
12. How do you cook this? (1) you take 1/3 kilo sugar, (2) you take (2) eggs, (3) you take about
2,3 spoonfuls of flour...