Grammar: Word classes: Number words

Overview

What are number words?

We use number words to say how many things there are or how much of a thing there is, and where in a sequence of things something occurs:

There are seven days in a week. [how many days?]
Mr Gong had lots of work to do over the weekend. [how much work?]
Kitty competed in the first race. [which one in a sequence of races?]

We distinguish between two kinds of number words: 

	quantity words (one, two, a couple, a third, much, little, fewer)
	order words (first, second, next, last, preceding, prior)

Quantity words

We use one kind of quantity words (one, two) to state how many of the Thing in the noun group there are: 

Mrs Gong has     two      daughters.                      quantity word

Quantity words of this kind (often 'cardinal numbers') are generally used with countable nouns (a friend, two daughters, six books).

We use another kind of quantity word (lots of, several, many, all of) to state how much of the Thing there is, often when we prefer to be unspecific about the exact amount:

MegaMonster had drunk     lots of    water.                                     quantity word

Quantity words of this kind (sometimes called 'measure expressions') are often used with uncountable nouns (lots of water, all of my love) but may also be used with countable nouns (lots of books, several cars).

Order words

We use order words (first, second, next, last) to specify the place of the Thing in a sequence: 

Ricky only managed    third    place in the race.                              order word

Some order words specify the exact place of things, eg ordinal numbers first, second, third, last while others specify an inexact place, eg next, preceding, subsequent. 

Function of number words

Number words typically function as Quantifier in a noun group, and provide more information about the Thing :

Granny Gong has     three      grandchildren.
                          number word           noun
                                     Quantifier              Thing

Ricky ran in the    second     race. 
                        number word    noun
                                    Quantifier      Thing

Order words are also often used in 'naming and describing' clauses, where they function as 'Description' in the clause:  

Dotty came      first       in English. 
                   number word 
                           Description

For more information on the role of Quantifiers in noun groups, see Grammar: Groups & phrases: Functions within the noun group: Saying 'how many'

For more information on 'naming and describing' clauses, see Grammar: Clause: Using the clause to represent experience: The processes: 'What's happening?': 'Naming and describing'

Note that the terms Description, Quantifier and Thing are written with an initial capital to remind us that they are functional terms.