Collins Cobuild English Grammar (54 page)

machinery

news

research

pair of

2.206
  Some plural nouns refer to things that are normally thought to consist of two parts, such as trousers or scissors. Some others refer to things that are made in twos, such as shoes or socks. When you want to talk about one of these two-part items, or two-item sets, you use the partitive
pair
linked to these plural nouns by
of
.

…a
pair of
jeans.
…a
pair of
tights.
…a dozen
pairs of
sunglasses.
I bought a
pair of
tennis shoes.
I smashed three
pairs of
skis.

These
plural nouns
are explained in paragraphs
1.41
to
1.46
.

BE CREATIVE

2.207
  Whenever you want to (i) talk about a limited amount of something, (ii) indicate the area that something occupies, or (iii) specify a particular feature that something has, you can use a noun that indicates the amount or the nature of the thing (e.g.
a bottle
), linked by
of
to a noun that indicates what the thing is (e.g.
water
).

For example, if you say
a forest of pines
, you are talking about a large area of trees. Similarly, you can talk about
a border of roses
.

This structure can be extended very widely, so that you can talk about
a city of dreaming spires
, for example.

Referring to an exact number of things: numbers

cardinal numbers

2.208
  When you want to refer to an exact number of things, you use numbers such as
two
,
thirty
, and
777
, which are called
cardinal numbers
, or sometimes
cardinals
.

I’m going to ask you
thirty
questions.
…
two hundred and sixty
copies of the record.

The cardinal numbers are listed in the Reference Section and their use is explained in paragraphs
2.213
to
2.231
.

ordinal numbers

2.209
  When you want to identify or describe something by showing where it comes in a series or sequence, you use an
ordinal number
, or an
ordinal
, such as
first
,
second
,
fourteenth
, or
twenty-seventh
.

She received a video camera for her
fourteenth
birthday.
I repeated my story for the
third
time that day.

The ordinal numbers are listed in the Reference Section and their use is explained in paragraphs
2.232
to
2.239
.

fractions

2.210
  When you want to show how large a part of something is compared to the whole of it, you use a
fraction
such as
a third
or
three-quarters
.

A third
of the American forces were involved.
The bottle was about
three-quarters
full when he started.

Fractions are explained in paragraphs
2.240
to
2.249
.

measuring things

2.211
  When you want to talk about a size, distance, area, volume, weight, speed, or temperature, you can do so by using a number or quantity expression in front of a
measurement noun
such as
feet
and
miles
.

He was about six
feet
tall.
It’s four
miles
to the city centre from here.

Measurement nouns are explained in paragraphs
2.250
to
2.257
.

If you do not know the exact number, size, or quantity of something, you can give an approximate amount or measurement using one of a group of special words and expressions. These are explained in paragraphs
2.264
to
2.271
.

age

2.212
  When you want to say how old someone or something is, you have a choice of ways in which to do it. These are explained in paragraphs
2.258
to
2.263
.

Talking about the number of things: cardinal numbers

2.213
  If you want to talk about some or all of the things in a group, you can show how many things you are talking about by using a
cardinal number
.

The cardinal numbers are listed in the Reference Section.

By Christmas, we had
ten
cows.

When you use a determiner and a number in front of a noun, you put the determiner in front of the number.

…
the three
young men.
…
my two
daughters.
Watch the eyes of
any two
people engrossed in conversation.
All three
candidates are coming to Blackpool later this week.

When you put a number and an adjective in front of a noun, you usually put the number in front of the adjective.

…
two small
children.
…
fifteen hundred local
residents.
…
three beautiful young
girls.

one

2.214
  
One
is used as a number in front of a noun to emphasize that there is only one thing, to show that you are being precise, or to contrast one thing with another.
One
is followed by a singular noun.

That is the
one
big reservation I’ve got.
He balanced himself on
one
foot.
There was only
one
gate into the palace.
This treaty was signed
one
year after the Suez Crisis.
It was negative in
one
respect but positive in another.

One
is also used, like other numbers, as a quantity expression.

One of
my students sold me her ticket.
…
one of
the few great novels of the century.
It’s
one of
the best films I’ve ever seen.

One
also has special uses as a determiner and a pronoun. These are explained in paragraph
1.249
and paragraphs
1.158
to
1.161
.

2.215
  When a large number begins with the figure
1
, the
1
can be said or written as
a
or
one
.
One
is more formal.

…
a million
dollars.
…
a hundred and fifty
miles.
Over
one million
pounds has been raised.

talking about negative amounts

2.216
  The number 0 is not used in ordinary English to say that the number of things you are talking about is zero. Instead the negative determiner
no
or the negative pronoun
none
is used, or
any
is used with a negative. These are explained in paragraphs
5.49
and
5.69
to
5.71
.

numbers and agreement

2.217
  When you use any number except
one
in front of a noun, you use a plural noun.

There were ten
people
there, all men.
…a hundred
years
.
…a hundred and one
things
.

2.218
  When you use a number and a plural noun to talk about two or more things, you usually use a plural verb. You use a singular verb with
one
.

Seven guerrillas
were
wounded.
There is
one
clue.

However, when you are talking about an amount of money or time, or a distance, speed, or weight, you usually use a number, a plural noun, and a singular verb.

Three hundred pounds
is
a lot of money.
Ten years
is
a long time.
Twenty six miles
is
a long way to run.
90 miles an hour
is
much too fast.
Ninety pounds
is
all she weighs.

Ways of measuring things are explained in paragraphs
2.250
to
2.257
.

numbers with ordinals and postdeterminers

2.219
  You can use cardinal numbers with both
ordinals
(see paragraphs
2.232
to
2.239
) and
postdeterminers
(see paragraph
2.40
). When you use a cardinal number with a determiner followed by an ordinal number or a postdeterminer, the cardinal number usually comes after the determiner and the ordinal or postdeterminer.

The
first two
years have been very successful.
…throughout the
first four
months of this year.
…the
last two
volumes of the encyclopedia.
…in the
previous three
years of his reign.

Note that some postdeterminers can be used like ordinary
classifying adjectives
(see paragraph
2.40
). When they are used like this, the cardinal number comes before them.

He has written
two previous
novels.
…
two further
examples.

numbers as pronouns

2.220
  When either the context makes it clear, or you think that your listener already knows something, you can use the cardinal number without a noun.

These
two
are quite different.

When cardinal numbers are used like this, you can put ordinal numbers, postdeterminers, or superlative adjectives in between the determiner and the cardinal number.

I want to tell you about the programmes.
The first four
are devoted to universities.
The other six
are masterpieces.
The best thirty
have the potential to be successful journalists.