NUMBERS AND CALCULATIONS`

This seminar focuses on how numbers and calculations are expressed in English.
The first twelve numbers, as you most surely know, are: one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve. Numbers between 13 and 19 are formed with the
suffix TEEN (thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen), while the
numbers from 20-90 are formed with the TY ending.
As you know very well, numbers are read by saying the individual numbers between one
and twenty. After that, use the tens (twenty, thirty, etc.) followed by the numbers one through
nine:
• 7 - seven
• 19 - nineteen
• 32 - thirty-two
• 89 - eighty-nine
When expressing large numbers (more than one hundred), read in groups of hundreds. The
order is as follows: billion, million, thousand, hundred. Notice that the words “hundred” and
“thousand”, etc. are NOT followed by an "s:"
• 200 is two hundred NOT two hundreds
Say numbers in the hundreds by beginning with numerals one through nine followed by
"hundred". Finish by saying the last two digits:
• 350 – three hundred fifty
• 425 – four hundred twenty-five
• 873 - eight hundred seventy-three
• 112 - one hundred twelve
NOTE: British English takes "and" following "hundred." American English omits "and."
In addition, don’t forget that, when expressing thousands in English, thousands are separated by
a comma.
Say a number up to 999 followed by "thousand." Finish by reading the hundreds when
applicable:
• 15,560 – fifteen thousand five hundred sixty
• 786,450 – seven hundred six thousand four hundred fifty
• 342,713 - three hundred forty-two thousand seven hundred thirteen
• 569,045 - five hundred sixty-nine thousand forty-five
For millions, say a number up to 999 followed by "million." Finish by saying first the
thousands and then the hundreds when applicable:
• 2,450,000 – two million four hundred fifty thousand
• 27,805,234 - twenty-seven million eight hundred five thousands two hundred thirty-four
• 934,700,000 – nine hundred thirty-four million seven hundred thousand
• 589,432,420 - five hundred eighty-nine million four hundred thirty-two thousand four
hundred twenty

Again, see here that both the thousands and the hundreds are separated by a comma.
For even larger numbers, first use billions and then trillions in a similar manner to millions:
• 23,870,550,000 - twenty-three billion eight hundred seventy million five hundred fifty
thousand
 • 12,600,450,345,000 - twelve trillion six hundred billion four hundred fifty million three
hundred forty-five thousand
Large numbers are often rounded to the next biggest or next smallest number to make things
easier. For example, 345,987,650 is rounded to 350,000,000.

Decimal numbers
Render decimals as the number followed by "point." Next, say each number beyond the point
individually2.36 - two point three six
• 14.82 - fourteen point eight two
• 9.7841 -nine point seven eight four one
• 3.14159 - three point one four one five nine (that's Pi!)

Percentages
Say percentages as the number followed by "percent:"
• 37% - thirty-seven percent
• 12% - twelve percent
• 87% - eighty-seven percent
• 3% - three percent

Fractions
Say the top number as a cardinal number, followed by the ordinal number + "s:"
• 3/8 - three-eighths
• 5/16 - five-sixteenths
• 7/8 - seven-eighths
• 1/32 - one thirty-second
•
Exceptions to this rule are:
• 1/4, 3/4 - one-quarter, three quarters
• 1/3, 2/3 - one third, two-thirds
• 1/2 - one-half

Expressing numbers below 0:

When you have to say a number below zero, for example, -1.052, you will
say minus 1 point zero five two. You need to remember that in English when you say the
number that comes after the decimal point '.

Important Numerical Expressions

• Speed: 100 mph (miles per hour). Read speed as numbers: One hundred miles per hour
• Weight: 42 lb. (pounds). Read weight as numbers: forty-two pounds (Of course, weight
can also be expressed in kilograms, grams, etc.)
• Telephone numbers: 212-555-1212. Read telephone numbers in individual
numbers: two one two five five five one two one two
• Dates: 12/04/65. Read dates month, day, year in American English. In British English the
order of expressing the date is: day, month, year. For this reason, in official letters, it is
advisable to write the month as a word, not as a number, in order to avoid confusion.
 • Temperature: 72° F (Fahrenheit). Read temperature as "degrees +number": seventy-two
degrees Fahrenheit.
• Height - 6'2''. Read height in feet and then inches: six feet two inches.
• Score - 2-1. Read scores as "number + to + number": Two to one

ZERO
" Zero " is the usual name for the number 0 in English. In British English "nought" is
also used. In American English "naught" is used occasionally for zero, but (as with British
English) "naught" is more often used as an archaic word for nothing.

In telephone numbers, room numbers, bus numbers and dates (years), zero is read as oh.
Here are some examples:
• The meeting is in Room 502 (five oh two)
• You need to take Bus 205 (two oh five)
• She was born in 1907 (nineteen oh seven)
"Nil", and "love" are used by different sports for scores of zero.
• For football scores we say nil: ‘The score was three nil (3-0) to Barcelon
• American English uses various words for sports scores: The Yankees are winning
three nothing/ three zero/ three zip.
For tennis scores we say love: ‘The score was thirty love. (30-0)

As indicated above, for temperatures we say zero: ‘It’s zero degrees Celsius today (0°)

Words used when making additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions:

• Plus, minus, subtract, multiply, divide, less, square root, sum
• Other words used for expressing addition: plus, sum, more than, increased by.
• Words used for expressing subtraction: subtracted, minus, difference, less than, decreased
by
Words used for expressing multiplication: times, product. For example, the word "product" tells
us to use multiplication. So,6 is the product of 2 and 3. 28 is the product of 4 and 7.
Words used for expressing division: divided, quotient. For instance, when dividing twenty by
three, the quotient is six and two thirds. In 12 ÷ 3 = 4, 4 is the quotient.

Exercises
Write the following numbers in words:
1.793; 1/100; 1/1000; 0; 2.491; 0.25=1/4;
Express in words the following calculations:

- 14+8=22
- 100x20=2,000
- 7x11 = 77
- 400:8=50
- 95+2 = 97
- 48-12=36
Fill in the blanks in the expressions below with appropriate ordinal/cardinal numbers:

1. He's very happy. He's in ......... heaven.

2. 3. There's not much difference between them. It's ...... of one and half a dozen of the
other.
3. She can't afford a new car so he's bought a ........ hand one.
4. 8. He always buys the most expensive plane ticket. He always travels ..... class.
5. You have all worked very hard, so have a break. Take .... .
6. He's very poor. He hasn't got ......... pennies to rub together.