READING NUMBERS AND SOME MATHEMATICAL TERMS

When expressing large numbers (more than one hundred) read in groups of hundreds. The order is as
follows: billion, million, thousand, hundred. Notice that hundred, thousand, etc. is NOT followed by an ‘s’.
We say: Two hundred NOT two hundreds

NOTE: British English takes 'and' between 'hundred and ...' American English usually omits 'and'. In the
examples below, this is represented as: (AND)

Hundreds
350 – three hundred (AND) fifty
425 – four hundred (AND) twenty-five

Thousands
15,560 – fifteen thousand five hundred (AND) sixty
786,450 – seven hundred (AND) eighty six thousand four hundred (AND) fifty

Millions
2,450,000 – two million four hundred (AND) fifty thousand
234,700,000 – two hundred (AND) thirty-four million seven hundred thousand

Speaking About Numbers

Numbers are read in the following manner in English:
Example: 2,350,400 => two million three hundred (AND) fifty thousand four hundred

Decimals
Read decimals as the given number point XYZ
2.36=>two point three six

Percentages
Read percentages as the number followed by ‘percent’
37%=>thirty seven percent

Fractions
Read the top number (numerator) as a cardinal number, followed by the (denominator) ordinal number +
‘s’ : 3/8 = three eighths; 2/3 = two thirds; ½ = one half; ¼ = one quarter; fraction: 8 / 10 = 8 out of 10

Some additional expressions

Here are the descriptive names of a number of important numerical expressions:

Speed: 100 mph (miles per hour)

Weight: 80 kg (kilograms) OR 42 lbs. (pounds)

Height: 1 m 89 cm 1.89 m (a meter eighty-nine)

telephone number: 0171 895-7056

Decimals: .087 (point oh eighty seven)

Percentage: 75% (75 percent)

Temperature: 28° C (Celsius) or 72° F (Fahrenheit); -8ºC (eight degrees below zero)

Price: $60.25 (sixty dollars and twenty-five cents)

Instructor: Anita Tizón 1/4 e-mail: anitatiz@yahoo.com

 PRACTICE WITH NUMBERS

1. WRITE DOWN THE FOLLOWING NUMBERS IN LETTERS:

1. 25:

2. 52:

3. 17:

4. 71:

5. 13:

6. 30:

7. 14:

8. 40:

9. 17:

10. 70:

11. 18:

12. 80:

13. 67:

14. 76:

15. 138:

16. 674:

17. 386:

18. 735:

19. 385:

20. 483:

21. 876:

22. 388:

23. 982:

24. 725:

25. 250:

Instructor: Anita Tizón 2/4 e-mail: anitatiz@yahoo.com

 26. 3,900:

27. 8,653:

28. 10,799:

29. 12,404:

30. 20,000:

31. 25,978:

32. 45,079:

33. 50,555:

34. 54,808:

35. 120,000:

36. 135,678:

37. 279,503:

38. 349,722:

39. 478,290:

40. 493,777:

41. 567,233:

42. 1,345,700:

43. 3,408,666:

44. 5,789,454:

45. 68,078,800:

46. 34,911,234:

47. 48,606,022:

48. 38,000,574:

49. 180,784,999:

50. 987,000,358:

Instructor: Anita Tizón 3/4 e-mail: anitatiz@yahoo.com