Ordinal numbers (Easy)

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary with me, Catherine.

Neil

And me, Neil. And today were talking about numbers.

Catherine

Yes. So numbers like first, second and third. So let's start by listening to Laurence. Hes'

talking his 18th birthday party. While you listen, try to answer this question: What

date was his party? Here's Laurence.

Laurence

For my 18th birthday last year, I invited about sixty friends and relatives! It was on the

twenty-fifth May and it was the first time that Ive ever had a big party. It was in a

restaurant the third floor of a hotel. The food was really delicious and I won second

prize in the dancing !

Neil

So we asked you: What date was Laurence's birthday party?

Catherine

And the answer is: the twenty-fifth of .

Neil

That's right. Now the twenty-fifth is an ordinal number like the first and the second.

Ordinal numbers tell the position of something in a group - the dates in a month, for

example.

Catherine

Or which birthday is. Laurence said it was his eighteenth birthday.

Neil

Yes, he did. Lucky him! And ordinal numbers are different cardinal numbers. We use

cardinal numbers like one, two, three for counting and to answer the question how

many.

Catherine

And to make a cardinal number into an ordinal number, add the letters t-h to the end of

cardinal number. Eighteen - eighteenth; sixty - sixtieth.

Neil

And that works for all the cardinal numbers except for , second and third  � theyre'

irregular, but for all the others, it's add t-h-, so that's fourth, fifth, sixth, …

Catherine

Eighth, ninth, tenth. So that's good but in writing we do have a couple of irregular

spellings, such fifth:

Neil

f-i-f-t-h----

Catherine

eighth

Neil

e-i-g-h-t-h-----

Catherine

ninth

Neil

n-i-n-t-h----

Catherine

twelfth

Neil

t-w-e-l-f-t-h------

Catherine

And for numbers in --y like sixty, drop the --y and add ---i-e and –th to make

sixtieth:

Neil

s-i-x-t-i-e-t-h-------

Catherine

Now look more closely at dates. Listen for the date in this clip.

INSERT CLIP 1

It was on the of May and it was the first time that Ive ever had a big party.

Neil

The twenty-fifth of . When we say the day before the month, we always use the

words the and of: the twenty-fifth of .

Catherine

But when we say the month before the day, we don't use the word of. It's just May

twenty-fifth-.

Neil

We often use the word the with ordinal numbers, but we can also use possessives. In this

clip, Laurence uses the possessive adjective my before eighteenth.

INSERT 1 CLIP 2

For my 18th birthday last year, invited about sixty friends and relatives!

Catherine

Let's have another clip.

INSERT 1 CLIP 3

It was in a on the third floor of a hotel. The food was really delicious and I won

second prize in the competition!

Neil

So, now we have two more ways of using ordinal numbers: space and quality.

Catherine

Yes, we . And the third floor tells us about the position of the floors in space. It's the

same as when give directions, for example: Take the second left after the traffic

lights.

Neil

And second prize tells us about quality. And a point to make here is that ordinal

numbers can be used as adjectives and adverbs without . Like in the phrase he won

second prize. Second is an adjective.

IDENT

6 Minute Vocabulary from BBC Learning .

Neil

And now it's quiz time! Number one: Which of these is correct? The party's on: a) thirtieth

of b) the thirtieth July c) the thirtieth of July.

Catherine

And it's c) the thirtieth of July.

Neil

Great! , number two. Which word in this list is wrong? First, second, third, ford, fifth.

Catherine

The answer's ford. It be fourth.

Neil

Yes, it should! Number three: Which of these is correct? a) My twenty-first birthday b) My

twenty-first birthday c) The my twenty-first birthday.

Catherine

The answer's a) My twenty-first birthday.

Neil

Well done if you them right. But before we go, here's a vocabulary tip. Try saying your

own important and memorable dates in , for example, birthdays, anniversaries and

festivals. If the dates are important, youre more likely to remember the English.

Catherine

more about this at bbclearningenglishcom.. Join us again soon for more 6 Minute

Vocabulary.

Both

Bye!