1st first 26th twenty-sixth 2nd second 27th twenty-seventh 3rd third 28th twenty-eighth 4th fourth 29th twenty-nineth 5th fifth 30th thirtieth 6th sixth 31st thirty-first 7th seventh 40th fortieth 8th eighth 41st forty-first 9th nineth 50th fiftieth 10th tenth 51st fifty-first 11th eleventh 60th sixtieth 12th twelfth 61st sixty-first 13th thirteenth 70th seventieth 14th fourteenth 71st seventy-first 15th fifteenth 80th eightieth 16th sixteenth 81st eighty-first 17th seventeenth 90th ninetieth 18th eighteenth 91st ninty-first 19th nineteenth 10oth hundredth 20th twentieth 101st hundred and first 21st twenty-first 200th two hundredth 22nd twenty-second 1000th thousandth 23rd twenty-third 1,000,000th millionth 24th twenty-fourth 1,000,000,000th billionth 25th twenty-fifth
R47 As shown in the above list, ordinals can be written in abbreviated form, for example in dates or headings, or in informal writing. You write the last two letters of the ordinal after the number expressed in figures. For example, first can be written as 1st, twenty-second as 22nd, hundred and third as 103rd, and fourteenth as 14th.
…on August 2nd.
…the 1st Division of the Sovereign’s Escort.
Fractions and percentages
R48 You can write a fraction in figures, for example 1/2, 1/4, 3/4, and 2/3. These correspond to a half, a quarter, three-quarters, and two-thirds respectively.
R49 Fractions are often given in a special form as a number of hundredths. This type of fraction is called a percentage. For example, three-hundredths, expressed as a percentage, is three per cent. It can also be written as three percent or 3%. A half can be expressed as fifty per cent, fifty percent, or 50%.
About 60 per cent of our students are women.
Ninety percent of most food is water.
Before 1960 45% of British trade was with the Commonwealth.
You can use percentages on their own as noun phrases when it is clear what they refer to.
Ninety per cent were self employed.
…interest at 10% per annum.
Verb forms and the formation of verb phrases
R50 Verbs have several forms. These forms can be used on their own or combined with special verbs called auxiliaries. When a verb or a combination of a verb and an auxiliary is used in a clause, it is called a verb phrase. Verb phrases can be finite or non-finite. If a verb phrase is finite, it has a tense. A non-finite verb phrase contains a verb in the form of an infinitive or an -ed or -ing participle.
Verb phrases are used to refer to actions, states, and processes. The use of verb phrases in clauses to make statements is explained in Chapter 3.
R51 Verb phrases can be active or passive. You use an active verb phrase if you are concentrating on the performer of an action, and you use a passive verb phrase if you are concentrating on someone or something that is affected by an action. Further information on the use of passive verb phrases is given in Chapter 9 (9.8 to 9.24).
R52 Regular verbs have the following forms:
The base form of a verb is the form that is used in the infinitive. It is the form that is given first in a dictionary where a verb is explained, and that is given in the lists in this grammar.
The s form of a verb consists of the base form with s on the end.
The -ing participle usually consists of the base form with ing on the end. It is sometimes called the present participle.
The past form of a verb usually consists of the base form with ed on the end.
In the case of regular verbs, the past form is used for the past tense and is also used as the -ed participle. It is sometimes called the past participle.
However, with many irregular verbs (see paragraph R72) there are two different forms:
There are rules about the spelling of the different forms of verbs, depending on their endings. These are explained in paragraphs R54 to R70.
Certain verbs, especially common ones, have irregular forms. These are listed in paragraphs R72 to R75.
The forms of the auxiliaries be, have, and do are given in paragraph R80.
R53 Each verb form has various uses.
The base form is used for the present tense, the imperative, and the infinitive, and is used after modals.
The s form is used for the third person singular of the present tense.
The -ing participle is used for progressive forms, -ing adjectives, -ing nouns, and some clauses.
The past form is used for the past simple, and for the -ed participle of regular verbs.
The -ed participle is used for perfect forms, passives, -ed adjectives, and some clauses.
R54 The basic verb forms have been described in paragraph R52. The following paragraphs explain how the various forms of verbs are spelled. They also give details of verbs that have irregular forms. The forms of the auxiliaries be, have, and do are dealt with separately in paragraphs R80 to R88.
R55 The s form of most verbs consists of the base form of the verb with s added to the end.
sing
When the s follows one of the sounds /f/, /k/, /p/, /t/, or /θ/, it is pronounced /s/.
break
When the s follows one of the sounds /S/, /z/, or /ʤ/, it is pronounced /Iz/.
dance