Tips On Learning English

Tips on Learning English Our study tips help you to learn English more effectively and with more fun. Backlog Analysis Backlog Analysis: unlearn typical English mistakes English Grammar English Gap-filling exercises English Grammar in texts Vocabulary Study English Learn English Learn English Learn English

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Backlog Analysis: unlearn typical English mistakes

Isn’t it frustrating: it is always the same mistakes that prevent you from getting that better mark in your English tests. How can you unlearn those mistakes? Don’t try too much at a time. Instead, concentrate on just one typical mistake. Go through the explanations and exercises in your grammar reference or textbook. When reading English texts, look out for that specific grammar aspect. Our backlog analysis contains 26 typical problems. We show you where on ego4u you'll find relevant explanations, exercises and tips. Take the print out of our analysis and your last English test and consult your English teacher. Look through the test together and pick out one problem. Write down the category … and start unlearning that problem.

2 If you’ve unlearned the mistake by the next test, you can tackle the next problem. What’s the problem? Click on a topic to see all relevant explanations, exercises and tips, we have on ego4u. Print Version of our Backlog Analysis (PDF format) (60,33 KiB) 1. Singular and Plural Form of Nouns 2. Article 3. Pronouns 4. some/any and much/many 5. Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers 6. Date and Time 7. Prepositions 8. Comparison of Adjectives 9. Form and Comparison of Adverbs 10. Adjectives and Adverbs 11. Affirmative Sentences (Word Order) 12. Positions of Adverbs 13. Negative Sentences 14. Questions 15. Use of Tenses 16. Form of Tenses 17. Conditional Sentences (if clauses) 18. Auxiliary Verbs 19. Short Answers 20. Phrasal Verbs 21. Infinitive 22. Gerund 23. Participles 24. Relative Clauses 25. Reported Speech 26. Passive Voice

3

Backlog Analysis: unlearn typical English mistakes

1. Singular and Plural Forms of Nouns Check out the following sites to find explanations, exercises and tips on singular and plural forms of nouns. Explanations Nouns - Plural Exercises Singular or Plural? Nouns - Articles, Plural und Possessive Case Important things to keep in mind when using nouns are which article to use and how to form the plural and how to form the possessive case.

2.Article Direct article - the example: the house Indirect article a / an a - if the first letter of the following word is pronounced like a consonant example: a car, a university an - if the first letter of the following word is pronounced like a vowel example: an apple, an hour Plural general rule: singular form + s example: a car - two cars after s, ch, x, z the plural is formed by adding es example: a box - two boxes

4 y after a consonant is changed to ie before the plural s example: a city - two cities But: y after a vowel is not changed example: a boy - two boys After o the plural is usually formed by adding es (this is not the case, however, with words used for electric gadgets and music: radio, video, disco) example: a tomato - two tomatoes Possessive Case of Nouns adding 's usually people

of phrase used

for usually things

Ronny's brother

used

for

of

the

the name school

If there is a relation to people when using the possessive case with unanimated things, often the s is added instead of using an of phrase. example: Germany's economy or the ecomony of Germany When using the possessive case with a time, s is added. example: a three week's holiday Exercise on indirect articles Exercise on direct articles Exercise - singular or plural? Exercise on the possessive case of nouns

Exercise and Answer: - IV I. Indirect Articles

5 Which indirect article is correct? 1. a 2. a 3. an 4. an 5. a 6. an 7. an 8. a 9. an 10. an

key bus orange apple watch ice-cream umbrella university 8-year-old girl hour

II.Direct Article Decide whether you must or must not use the direct article. 1. We went to the cinema. 2. We usually have - dinner at seven o'clock. 3. He plays - tennis very well. 4. Can you play the guitar? 5. This is my last year at - school. 6. Jane loves listening to the radio. 7. They went to London by - plane. 8. We are going to see my cousins on - Sunday. 9. Last night at eight we were watching the news on BBC. 10. That was an important day in - history. III.Singular or Plural? Fill the gaps with the correct form of the nouns (singular or plural). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

They ate some tomatoes . You can put sugar in your tea. We have to buy new furniture . I need to wash my hair . We had lots of fun . The Milfords have a lot of money . How many people were at the cinema with you? Could you give some information on your project?

6 9. In this hotel, families are very welcome. 10. Those men seem to be very tired. IV.Possessive Case Fill the gaps with the possessive case of nouns. Decide whether you have to use 's or an of phrase. 1. The boy has a toy. → It's the boy's toy . 2. Peter has a book. → It's Peter's book . 3. The magazine has my picture on its cover. → My picture is on the cover of the magazine . 4. Our friends live in this house. → It's our friends' house . 5. There is milk in the glass. → It's a glass of milk . 6. This house has a number. → What is the number of this house ? 7. The walk lasts two hours. → It's a two-hours' walk . 8. John has a sister, Jane. → Jane is John's sister . 9. The film has a name, "Scream". → "Scream" is the name of the film . 10. This school is for girls only. → It's a girls' school .

3. Pronouns Check out the following sites to find explanations, exercises and tips on pronouns. Explanations Pronouns (personal, pronouns)

possessive,

relative

and

reflexive

Exercises Personal Pronouns - Subject Form Personal Pronouns - Object Form Possessive Adjectives Possessive Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns I Reflexive Pronouns II Relative Pronouns (see relative clauses) Pronouns (Personal, Possessive, Relative and Reflexive Pronouns)

7 Webtip: Check your grammar and spelling, analyze entire sentences and enrich your writing with more then 600 letter templates Pronouns are words like I, me (personal pronouns) or my, mine (possessive pronouns). Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Adjectives

and Reflexive Pronouns

subject form

object form

possessive adjective

possessive pronoun

I

me

my

mine

myself

you

you

your

yours

yourself

he

him

his

his

himself

she

her

her

hers

herself

it

it

its

its

itself

we

us

our

ours

ourselves

you

you

your

yours

yourselves

they

them

their

theirs

themselves

Personal Pronouns - Subject Form example: We have got some books. Exercise on personal pronouns - subject form Personal Pronouns - Object Form example: The books are for us.

8 Exercise on personal pronouns - object form Possessive Adjectives example: These are our books. Exercise on possessive adjectives Possessive Pronouns example: The books are ours. Exercise on possessive pronouns Reflexive Pronouns example: He can carry the bags himself. Exercise on reflexive pronouns Exercise on reflexive and reciprocal pronouns Relative Pronouns example: This is the man who lives next door. Exercise on relative pronouns (see relative clauses) Mixed Exercises Exercise on personal pronouns and possessive adjectives

Exercise and Answer Personal Pronouns - Subject Replace the words in brackets by the correct personal pronouns. Note that Sue is the person speaking. The (*) means that you are asked a question. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

My name is Sue. I am English. And this is my family. My mum's name is Angie. She is from Germany. Bob is my dad. He is a waiter. On the left you can see Simon. He is my brother. We are twins. Our dog is a girl, Judy. She is two years old.

9 7. We live in Canterbury. 8. It is not far from London. 9. My grandparents live in London. They often come and see us. 10. What can you tell me about your family? Personal Pronouns Object Aaron was on a business trip to California. He shows you the souvenirs he got for his family. Fill in the correct pronouns. 1. My sister Jane loves books. This novel is for her. 2. My children like Disney films. The video is for them. 3. My brother Matt collects picture postcards. These postcards are for him. 4. My parents like Latin music. The CD is for them. 5. I like watches. This nice watch is for me. 6. My wife and I love sweets. These sweets are for us. 7. My nephew likes cars. The toy truck is for him. 8. My neighbour wants to go to California next year. The guide book is for her. 9. Here is another souvenir. I don't know what to do with it. 10. You know what? - It's for you. Possessive Adjectives Replace the personal pronouns by possessive adjectives. 1. Where are your friends now? 2. Here is a postcard from my friend Peggy. 3. She lives in Australia now with her family. 4. Her husband works in Newcastle. 5. His company builds ships. 6. Their children go to school in Newcastle. 7. My husband and I want to go to Australia, too. 8. We want to see Peggy and her family next winter. 9. Our winter! 10. Because it is their summer. Possessive Pronouns

10 Replace the personal pronouns by possessive pronouns. 1. This book is yours. 2. The ball is mine. 3. The blue car is ours. 4. The ring is hers. 5. We met Paul and Jane last night. This house is theirs. 6. The luggage is his. 7. The pictures are hers . 8. In our garden is a bird. The nest is its . 9. This cat is ours. 10. This was not my fault. It was yours.

Reflexive Pronouns Fill in the correct reflexive pronouns. 1. I did not want to believe it and then I saw the UFO myself. 2. The girl looked at herself in the mirror. 3. Freddy, you'll have to do your homework yourself. 4. You don't need to help them. They can do it themselves . 5. I introduced myself to my new neighbour. 6. Boys, can you make your beds yourselves ? 7. She made herself a pullover. 8. What happens when a fighting fish sees itself in the mirror? 9. The father decided to repair the car himself. 10. We can move the table ourselves . Reflexive and Reciprocal Pronouns Decide whether you have to use the reflexive reciprocal pronoun (each other) or nothing. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

John hurt himself when climbing the tree. Peter and Sue helped each other with the homework. I feel - much better today. Did she make herself a cup of tea? The wild monkey looked at itself in the mirror. Brigit and Billy smiled at each other . We're meeting - at the station.

pronoun,

the

11 8. During the meeting, Jane and Mary were talking to each other. 9. I don't remember - where we spent our holiday last year. 10. We need to concentrate -. Relative Pronouns (who / which / whose) Choose the correct relative pronoun (who, which, whose). 1. This is the bank which was robbed yesterday. 2. A boy whose sister is in my class was in the bank at that time. 3. The man who robbed the bank had two pistols. 4. He wore a mask which made him look like Mickey Mouse. 5. He came with a friend who waited outside in the car. 6. The woman who gave him the money was young. 7. The bag which contained the money was yellow. 8. The people who were in the bank were very frightened. 9. A man whose mobile was ringing did not know what to do. 10. A woman whose daughter was crying tried to calm her. 11. The car which the bank robbers escaped in was orange. 12. The robber whose mask was obviously too big didn't drive. 13. The man who drove the car was nervous. 14. He didn't wait at the traffic lights which were red. 15. A police officer whose car was parked at the next corner stopped and arrested them.

Exercises “Little Red Riding Hood” – Teil 1 Fill the gaps with the correct pronouns. 1. Once upon a time there was a girl called Little Red Riding Hood. Together with her mum, she lived in a big forest. 2. One fine day, Little Red Riding Hood’s mother said, “ Your grandma is ill. Please go and take this cake and a bottle of wine to her. Grandma’s house is not too far from our house, but always keep to the path and don’t stop!” 3. So, Little Red Riding Hood made her way to Grandma’s house. 4. In the forest she met the big bad wolf. 5. Little Red Riding Hood greeted him and the wolf asked: 6. “Where are you going, Little Red Riding Hood?” 7. “To my grandma’s house.” answered Little Red Riding Hood. 8. “Can you tell me where your grandma lives?”

12 9. “ She lives in a little cottage at the edge of the forest.” 10. “Why don’t you pick some nice flowers for her?” asked the wolf. 11. “That’s a good idea.” said Little Red Riding Hood and began looking for flowers. Meanwhile, the wolf was on his way to grandma’s house. 12. The house was quite small but nice and its roof was made out of straw. 13. The wolf went inside and swallowed poor old Grandma. After that he put Grandma’s clothes on and lay down in her bed. Exercises “Little Red Riding Hood” – Teil 2 Fill the gaps with the correct pronouns. 1. Some time later, Little Red Riding Hood came to the little cottage. She went inside and was shocked by the sight of her grandma. 2. “Oh grandma, what big eyes, hands and mouth you have got!” Little Red Riding Hood said. 3. There, the wolf jumped out of bed and swallowed her, too. 4. Then he lay down again and fell asleep. 5. After a while, the hunter passed by Grandma’s house. He heard somebody snoring, thought that there was something wrong and consequently went inside. 6. In the bedroom, he saw the wolf. 7. First, the hunter wanted to shoot him, but then he saw the wolf’s big belly. 8. So, the hunter took out his knife and cut the belly open. 9. Out came Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma. 10. “Thank you for saving us,” whispered Little Red Riding Hood. 11. Then, all of them went to fetch some stones and put them in the wolf’s belly. 12. Soon the wolf woke up. He was very thirsty and went to the well in the garden to drink some water. 13. When the wolf wanted to lean over and drink, the stones in his belly were too heavy and pulled him down into the well. 14. Grandma, the hunter and Little Red Riding Hood were happy, ate their cake and drank the wine. 15. But the wolf in the well thought, “Why do such things always happen to me?”

13

4. Some/Any, Much/Many Check out the following sites to find explanations, exercises and tips on some/any and much/many. Exercises Some and Any Much and Many Some / any Exercises on some and any The words some and any are used for countable and uncountable nouns. In general, we could say that some means a few / a little and any means none in negative clauses or a few / a little in questions. Positive Clauses In positive clauses, we usually use some. Example: I have bought some bread. I have bought some apples. Negative Clauses In negative clauses, we use any. Note, however, that any alone is not a negative - it must be not ... any Example: I have not bought any bread. I have not bought any apples. Questions In questions, we usually use any. Example: Have you bought any bread? Have you bought any apples? Compound Words with some / any Some / any can also be part of compound words such as:   

something / anything someone / anyone somewhere / anywhere

14 Note that some / any have to be used with a noun while compound words with some / any can stand on their own. Example: I have bought some bread. I have bought something. However, some and any need not stand directly before the noun. Sometimes, the noun appears somewhere before some or any and is not repeated. So if you are not sure whether to use some or something for example, check if there is a noun in the sentence that you can place after some. Example: I do not have to buy bread. Rachel has already bought some [bread]. Exceptions Positive Clauses with Any We usually use some in positive without, hardly, we use any.

clauses.

But

after

never,

Example: We never go anywhere. She did her homework without any help. There’s hardly anyone here. Also in if clauses, we usually use any. Example: If there is anything to do, just call me. Questions with Some We usually use any in questions. But if we expect or want the other to answer ‚yes‘, we use some. Example: Have you got any brothers and sisters? → some people have brothers or sisters, others don't - we cannot expect the answer to be ‚yes‘ Would you like some biscuits? → we offer something and want to encourage the other to say ‚ja‘ Exercises on Some and Any

15    

Some / Any Exercise 1, Exercise 2 Someone / Anyone Something / Anything Somewhere / Anywhere

Mixed Exercises  Exercise 1  Exercise 2  Exercise 3 Exercises with  Exercise 1  Exercise 2  Exercise 3  Exercise 4 -

Exceptions Exceptions Exceptions Exceptions Exceptions

in in in in

positive positive positive positive

clauses clauses clauses and questions clauses and questions

Exercise and Answer: Exercises on some / any Exercise 1 Fill in the correct word (some or any). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Sue went to the cinema with some of her friends! Jane doesn't have any friends. Have you got any brothers or sisters? Here is some food for the cat. I think you should put some flowers on the table. Could you check if there are any calls on the machine? 7. I don't want any presents for my birthday. 8. Did they have any news for you? 9. I'm hungry - I'll have some sandwiches. 10. There aren't any apples left.

Exercise 2 Fill in the correct word (some or any).

answering

16 1. I need a hammer and some nails. 2. He does not want any help. 3. There are some sheep in the garden. 4. Do you know any famous people? 5. They often invite some friends to their home. 6. Do you have any idea what they are doing there? 7. Charly doesn't have any pets. 8. My little brother already knows some words in English. 9. My mum doesn't speak any foreign languages. 10. I've got some sweets for you. someone / anyone Fill in the correct word (someone or anyone). 1. I know someone who is 100 years old. 2. There is someone at the door. 3. Did anyone call? 4. There wasn't anyone at home. 5. I think there is someone in the bushes. 6. I won't tell anyone about your secret. 7. I didn't know the way, so I had to ask someone 8. Has anyone seen my keys? 9. I would not give my bike to anyone . 10. This jacket does not belong to anyone of us.

.

something / anything Fill in the correct word (something or anything). 1. Is there anything I could do for you? 2. There is something in your hair. 3. He said something stupid. 4. Did you buy anything ? 5. There isn't anything in the fridge. 6. Do you know anything about Ireland? 7. I couldn't see anything in the dark. 8. Bob asked her something . 9. I haven't heard anything of Sue for ages. 10. Has anything happened while I was away?

17 somewhere / anywhere Fill in the correct word (somewhere or anywhere). 1. Have you seen my necklace anywhere ? 2. The restaurant must be somewhere around here. 3. My friend lives somewhere in Spain. 4. I cannot find my glasses anywhere . 5. Did you travel anywhere last weekend? 6. We have been somewhere near London. 7. Is Jane anywhere around? 8. I haven't seen her anywhere . 9. Have you parked your car anywhere near? 10. Let's go somewhere next weekend. Mix - Exercise 1 Fill in the correct word. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Phil is watching something on TV. Can you see Simon anywhere ? My little sister doesn't eat anything with carrots. My grandfather is someone who doesn't go anywhere computer. The accident happened somewhere near our school. Does anyone speak Japanese? Someone will wait for you at the station. Your cup is somewhere in the kitchen. Your room is still a mess. Have you cleaned up anything

near

a

yet?

Mix - Exercise 2 Fill in the correct word. 1. I didn't know anyone at the party and they weren't playing any good songs either. 2. Let's go somewhere and eat something . 3. I bought some cheese in the shop. 4. ' Anything else?' the shop assistant asked when she gave me the cheese. 5. I cannot see Charles anywhere . Are you sure he is here? 6. Laura is meeting some friends at the club tonight. 7. Will someone take you home or shall I pick you up?

18 8. Do you need any

help?

Mix - Exercise 3 Fill in the correct word. 1. I would not go anywhere without you. 2. There is something I want to tell you. 3. The plates are somewhere in the cupboard. 4. Let's buy some postcards here, they are so nice. 5. Someone has left a message for you. 6. Did anyone call a taxi? 7. Do you know any songs by the Beatles? 8. I'm so hungry - I haven't eaten anything for hours. 9. I must find someone who can explain this to me. 10. There isn't a supermarket anywhere near us.

Exercise 1 - Exceptions in positive clauses Fill in the correct word (some or any). 1. 2. 3. 4.

Danny has got some cool computer games. I can do this exercise without any help. Noreen never has any time. There are some ice-creams in the freezer for you and your friends. 5. I get hardly any pocket-money from my parents. 6. In the zoo, we saw some strange creatures. 7. Some windows were open. 8. Stuart never reads any books in his freetime. 9. My friend has a garden without any trees. 10. We hardly ever eat any junk food.

Exercise 2 - Exceptions in positive clauses Fill in the correct word. 1. Gerald bought some flowers for me on the market. 2. He usually comes without any flowers.

19 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Linda has never been anywhere abroad. There was hardly anyone at the club last Saturday. I must ask you something . Sally works somewhere in town. Tony can spend all day in a shopping centre without spending any money. 8. Jamie never does anything in the household. 9. Harry has been learning French for some years, and he speaks the language without any problems.

Exercise 3 - Exceptions in positive clauses and questions Fill in the correct word (some or any). 1. Would you like some biscuits? 2. No, thank you. But I'd like some orange juice, please. 3. I'm sorry. I don't have any orange juice. And there is hardly any apple juice there, either. Would you like some milk? 4. I never drink any milk. Could I just have some water? 5. Of course. But why don't you want any biscuits? 6. I'm not hungry. I had eaten some sandwiches just before I came here. 7. I see, but I will put some on the table, anyway. Exercise 4 - Exceptions in positive clauses and questions Fill in the correct word. 1. When I am on holiday, I always buy something for my relatives. 2. When my brother is on holiday, he never sends a postcard to anyone . 3. Do you know any punk groups? 4. Cindy speaks hardly any German. 5. Would you like some tea? 6. Yes, please. And could I have some sugar as well? 7. He left the house without having eaten anything . 8. Someone has sent you a letter. 9. I cannot go anywhere this afternoon. 10. She never told us anything about her journeys.

20 Much / many Exercises on much and many The words much and many mean a lot of. 



If a noun is in singular, we use much Example: much money If a noun is in plural, we use many Example: many friends

Use of much / many In everyday English, we normally questions and negative clauses.

use

much

/

many

only

in

Example: How much money have you got? Carla does not have many friends. In positive clauses with so, as or too, we also use much / many. Example: Carla has so many friends. She has as many friends as Sue. Kevin has too much money. In all other positive clauses, however, we prefer expressions like a lot of / lots of. Example: Carla has a lot of / lots of friends. Kevin has a lot of / lots of money. In formal texts, however, much / many are also common in positive clauses. This you will notice for example when you read English news. Countable / Uncountable Nouns In connection with much / many people often speak of countable nouns and uncountable nouns.

21 Countable nouns have a singular and a plural form. In plural, these nouns can be used with a number (that's why they are called 'countable nouns'). Countable nouns take many. Example: 100 friends – many friends Uncountable nouns can only be used in singular. These nouns cannot be used with a number (that's why they are called 'uncountable nouns'). Uncountable nouns take much. Example: 100 money – much money Note: Of course you can count money – but then you would name the currency and say that you have got 5 euro (but not „5 money“). Exercises on much and many  Much / Many - Exercise 1  Much / Many - Exercise 2  Much / Many - Exercise 3  Much / Many - Exercise 4  Much / Many - Exercise 5

Exercise and Answer Exercise 1 Decide whether you have to use much or many. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

many many much much many

cars pictures milk money girls

much many many much many

music flowers numbers tea pencils

Exercise 2 Decide whether you have to use much or many. 1. much 2. many 3. many

food websites women

many much much

evenings sugar cheese

22 4. many 5. many

children mice

much much

time information

Exercise 3 Decide whether you have to use much or many. 1. Jane hasn't got much time. 2. Do you know many words in English? 3. He didn't eat much meat. 4. There isn't much butter in the fridge. 5. How many eggs did the hens lay? 6. Samantha has as much money as Bruce. 7. How many lessons do you have on Mondays? 8. There was too much noise in the streets. 9. I cannot see many stars in the sky tonight. 10. Do you have many friends abroad?

Exercise 4 Decide whether you have to use much or many. 1. There is too much water in the bath tub. 2. How many brothers and sisters has Anne got? 3. I don't receive many letters nowadays. 4. How much rice do you eat per week? 5. I put too much salt in the soup. 6. How many people were at the party? 7. It doesn't make much sense. 8. There wasn't much traffic on the motorway. 9. My grandfather does not have much hair, anymore. 10. How many plates do we need?

Exercise 5 Decide whether you have to use much or many. 1. She has so many

friends!

23 2. Too many cooks spoil the broth. 3. Hurry up. I don't have so much time. 4. We went to a dairy yesterday.I had never seen so many cows before. 5. It's also quite amazing how much milk these cows produce every day. 6. You have too much money. Won't you share it with me? 7. There are so many poor people in the world. 8. There are too many children in the house. 9. My father doesn't drink much coffee. 10. How many of you have ever been to London?

5. Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers Check out the following sites to find explanations, exercises and tips on cardinal and ordinal numbers. Erläuterung Cardinal Numbers Ordinal Numbers Hinweise Telephone Numbers Zero, Nil, Nought, Oh or Love Exercises Cardinal Numbers Ordinal Numbers Sonstiges Random Number Generator

Cardinal Numbers Use our → number generator to see how to spell any desired number.

Table of Cardinal Numbers Carcinal numbers from 1 through 1,000,000 1 one 11 eleven 21 twenty-one 31 2 two 12 twelve 22 twenty-two 40

thirty-one forty

24 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

three four five six seven eight nine ten

13 thirteen 14 fourteen 15 fifteen 16 sixteen 17 seventeen 18 eighteen 19 nineteen 20 twenty

23 twenty-three 24 twenty-four 25 twenty-five 26 twenty-six 27 twenty-seven 28 twenty-eight 29 twenty-nine 30 thirty

50 fifty 60 sixty 70 seventy 80 eighty 90 ninety 100 a/one hundred 1,000 a/one thousand 1,000,000 a/one million

Separation between hundreds and tens Hundreds and tens are usually separated by 'and' (in American English 'and' is not necessary). 110 one 1,250 one thousand, 2,001 - two thousand and one

hundred and two hundred and

ten fifty

Hundreds Use 100 always with 'a' or 'one'. 100 - a hundred / one hundred 'a' can only stand at the beginning of a number. 100 a hundred 2,100 - two thousand, one hundred

/

one

hundred

Thousands and Millions Use 1,000 and 1,000,000 always with 'a' or 'one'. 1,000 a thousand / 201,000 - two hundred and one thousand

one

thousand

Use commas as a separator. 57,458,302

The Number 1,000,000,000 In English this number is a billion. This is very tricky for nations where 'a billion' has 12 zeros. 1,000,000,000,000 in English, however, is a trillion.

25 But don't worry, these numbers are even a bit problematic for native speakers: for a long time the British 'billion' had 12 zeros (a number with 9 zeros was called 'a thousand million'). Now, however, also in British English 'a billion' has 9 zeros. But from time to time this number still causes confusion (just like this paragraph, I'm afraid). ;o) Singular or Plural? Numbers are usually written in singular. two hundred several thousand light years

Euros

The plural is only used with dozen, hundred, thousand, million, billion, if they are not modified by another number or expression (e.g. a few / several). hundreds thousands of light years

of

Euros

Exercise Exercise on Spelling numbers

Ordinal numbers Use our → number generator to see how to spell any desired number. Table of Ordinal Numbers Ordinal Numbers from 1 through 1,000,000 1 st first 11 th eleventh 21 st twenty-first

31

2 3 4 5 6 7

40 50 60 70 80 90

nd second rd third th fourth th fifth th sixth th seventh

22 nd twenty-second 23 rd twenty-third 24 th twenty-fourth 25 th twenty-fifth 26 th twenty-sixth 27 th twentyseventh 8 th eighth 18 th eighteenth 28 th twenty-eighth 9 th ninth

12 th twelfth 13 th thirteenth 14 th fourteenth 15 th fifteenth 16 th sixteenth 17 th seventeenth

19 th nineteenth 29 th twenty-

100

1,000

st thirtyfirst th fortieth th fiftieth th sixtieth th seventieth th eightieth th ninetieth th one hundredth th one

26 10 th tenth

20 th twentieth

ninth thousandth 30 th thirtieth 1,000,000 th one millionth

Form Spelling of Ordinal Numbers Just add th to the cardinal number:  

four - fourth eleven - eleventh Exceptions:

      

one - first two - second three - third five - fifth eight - eighth nine - ninth twelve - twelfth In compound ordinal numbers, note that only the last figure is written as an ordinal number:

 

421st = four hundred and twenty-first 5,111th = five thousand, one hundred and eleventh Figures When expressed as figures, the last two letters of the written word are added to the ordinal number:

     

first = 1st second = 2nd third = 3rd fourth = 4th twenty-sixth = 26th hundred and first = 101st Titles In names for kings and queens, ordinal numbers are written in Roman numbers. In spoken English, the definite article is used before the ordinal number:



Charles II - Charles the Second

27  

Edward VI - Edward the Sixth Henry VIII - Henry the Eighth Exercise on Pronounciation of Ordinal Numbers Phone Numbers Each figure is said separately. 24 - two four The figure 'O' is called oh. 105 - one oh five Pause after groups of 3 or 4 figures (last group). 376 4705 - three seven six, four seven oh five If two successive figures are the same, in British English you would usually use the word double (in American English you would just say the figure twice) 376 4775 - BE: three seven six, four double seven 376 4775 - AE: three seven six, four seven seven five

five

The Figure »0« nought - in general (British English) zero

- in general (American English) - in measurements American English)

of

temperature

(British

and

- in count-downs (British and American English) - score in English)

team

games,

e.g.

football

(American

oh

- when each figure is said separately (e.g. in phone numbers, account numbers etc.)

nil

- score in English)

love

- in tennis and similar games

team

games,

e.g.

football

(British

28

6. Date and Time Check out the following sites to find explanations, exercises and tips on date and time. Erläuterung What's the time? - ways to tell the time in English Date - ways to write the date in English Months and Days of the Week Date - ways to read the date in English Date - years Exercises How to tell the time How to read the date How to write the date ZusatzExercises Origin of the Names of the Months Origin of the Days of the Week Days of the Week Sonstiges Date Generator (written and read)

Exercise Exercise on Telling the Time Explanation There are two common ways of telling the time. Formal but easier way Say the hours first and then the minutes. Example: 7:45 - seven forty-five For minutes 01 through 09, you can pronounce the '0' as oh. Example: 11:06 - eleven (oh) six More popular way

29 Say the minutes first and then the hours. Use past and the preceding hour for minutes 01 through 30. Use to and the forthcoming hour for minutes 31 through 59, but . Example: 7.15 - fifteen minutes past seven Example: 7.45 - fifteen minutes to eight Another possibility of saying '15 minutes past' is: a quarter past Another possibility of saying '15 minutes to' is: a quarter to Another possibility of saying '30 minutes past' is: half past Example: 5:30 - half past five Watch

Note Use o'clock only at the full hour. Example: 7:00 - seven o'clock (but 7:10 - ten past seven) In English ordinary speech, the twelve-hour clock is used. Beispiel: 17:20 - twenty past five For times around midnight or midday you can use the expressions midnight or midday / noon instead of the number 12. Beispiel: 00:00 - midnight Beispiel: 12:00 - midday or noon To make clear (where necessary) whether you mean a time before 12 o'clock noon or after, you can use in the morning, in the

30 afternoon, in the evening, at night. Use in the morning before 12 o'clock noon, after 12 o'clock noon use in the afternoon. When to change from afternoon to evening, from evening to night and from night to morning depends on your sense of time. Example: 3:15 - a quarter quarter past three at night

past

three

in

the

morning

OR

a

More formal expressions to indicate whether a time is before noon or after are a.m. (also: am - ante meridiem, before noon) and p.m. (also: pm - post meridiem, after noon). Use these expression only with the formal way of telling the time. Example: 3:15 - three fifteen a.m. It is not usual to use a.m. and p.m. with past/to. Example: 3:15 - fifteen minutes past three OR a quarter past three American English Beside past Americans often use after. Example: 06:10 - ten past/after six But: in time expressions with half past it is not usual to replace past by after. Beside to Americans often use before, of or till. Example: 05:50 ten to/before/of/till __________________________________________________________

six-

Dates in Written English British English In British English the day is usually put before the month. If you wish, you can add the ending of the ordinal number. The preposition of before the month is usually dropped. You can put a comma before the year, but this is not common anymore in British English. Example: 5(th) (of) October(,) 2004 American English

31 In American English the month is usually put before the day. If you wish, you can put the definite article before the day. It is common to write a comma before the year. Example: October (the) 5(th), 2004 You can also write the date by using numbers only. The most common forms are: Example: 5/10/04 or 5-10-04