Singular and plural with fractions and decimals

With fractions below 1, we normally use of a + singular noun. The same structure is common with decimals below 1.

three quarters of a ton 0.1625 cm - nought point one six two five of a centimeter.

However, decimals below “1” can also be followed directly by a plural noun.

nought point one six two five centimeters

Fractions and decimals over “1” are normally followed directly by a plural noun.

one and a half hours1.3 millimeters

Note also the structure a … and a half. I’ve been waiting for an hour and a half.

Singular verbs are normally used after fractions and other expressions referring to amounts. Three quarters of a ton is too much. 3.6 kilometers is about 2 miles.

Telephone Numbers.

Telephone numbers are written with gaps between each group of numbers, not usually with dashes or full stops: e.g. 01 339 4867.

The first group is usually the dialing code for a particular place and is often in brackets: (01) 339 4867. 0in phone numbers is pronounced oh.

Numbers are pronounced separately and double figures are usually given as e.g. double three: oh one, double three (or three three) nine, four eight six seven.

Treble figures are normally spoken as follows: 6222: six two double two.

A number like 2222 would be spoken double two double two. Other long numbers like bank accounts numbers, national insurance numbers and so on are usually spoken in the same way.

Mathematical Symbols.

= (‘the equals sign’)

This is spoken as equal or equals, is equal to or is/are or make/makes, so 2+2=4 could be spoken as: 2 and (plus) 2 is/equals/makes 4

- (‘the minus sign’)

This is spoken as minus or take away or from 9-3=6 could be spoken as: 9 minus/take away 3 equals/makes 6. 3 from 9 equals/makes 6.

X (‘the multiplication sign’)

This is spoken as multiplied by or times: 9x3=27 could be spoken as: 9 multiplied by 3 equals 27 9 times 3 is 27 Three nines (or nine threes) are 27.

: (‘the division sign’)

This is spoken as divided by or over. 9:3=3 could be spoken as: 9 divided by (or over) 3 equals 3 3 into nine is/goes 3.

% (‘the percentage sign’)

This is usually said per cent. 3% = three per cent 3 1/2%=three and a half per cent 3.5%=three point five per cent.

Ex. 3. Write these numerical expressions in words. 1. 32°=0° C. 2. 36.8 %. 3. 15.4=15 2/5. 4. 56 = 7 = 8 = 41 – 3 = 46. 5. 66 ¸ 11 = 6. 6. 8 ´ 5 = 40. 7. 68 – 13 = 53. 8. 31 + 6 = 37.

Ex. 4. Write in English: 3/5 тонны. 1/4 километра, 2/3 процента, 1 1/3 часа, 1/2 фунта, 4 1/2 пенса, 2 3/4 процента, 2 2/3 дюйма, 0.105 метра, 2.18 фунта, 17536 тонны, 5 процентов, 23 процента, 0.36 процента, 2.5 процента

6. Dates. 35 B.C. (‘Before Christ’); A.D. (‘Anno Domini’, ‘in the year of our Lord’ in Latin) Pompey died in 48 B.C. Tiberius died in A.D. 37.

The name of the century is ‘one ahead’ of the way the years in it are written/said: e.g. 1500-1599 is the sixteenth century. We can refer to the fifteen twenties, etc. and in this century to the fifties, the sixties. We refer to 1900-1910 as the nineteen hundreds.

Years are said in two parts.

1066: ten sixty-six, 1917: nineteen seventeen

The early years of a century, e. g. from (19)01 to (19)12, have two forms: nineteen hundred and one, or nineteen-(oh)-one.

Years ending in ‘00’ are said with ‘hundred’: 1900: nineteen hundred, but note 2,000: the year two thousand.

The time. Telling the time in everyday speech.

If a clock shows 10.00, the answer to the question “what’s the time?’ is: It’s ten o’clock, or ten, or it’s ten. The word o’clock is used only with exact hours, never with other times: It’s five past ten, etc. When the hour is known, we can just say: (It’s) five past. (It’s) five to.

For past the hour we say: (It’s) five past (ten), a quarter past (ten).

For before the hour we say: (It’s) twenty-five to (eleven), a quarter to (eleven).

With all other combinations before the hour and past the hour, we say minutes: three minutes to ten, twenty minutes to eleven.

In AmE after is commonly used in place of past and of instead of to: a quarter of eleven. Informally, we sometimes say: half ten instead of half past ten and ten fifteen, ten thirty instead of using a quarter and half. Sometimes we say a.m. (ante meridiem, i.e. before midday) or p.m. (post meridiem i.e. after midday) for times before and after 12 noon. I’llmeet you at 5 p.m. We also say at noon or at midnight. For 12 a.m. or 12 p.m.