表示數(shù)目的詞稱為基數(shù)詞。其形式如下:

A.從1——10

one,two,three,four,five,six,seven,eight,nine,ten.

B.從 11——19

eleven,twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,eighteen, nineteen.
這里除 eleven, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, eighteen為特殊形式外,fourteen,sixteen,seventeen,nineteen都是由其個位數(shù)形式后添加后綴-teen構(gòu)成。

C.從 21——99

整數(shù)幾十中除twenty,thirty, forty,fifty,eighty為特殊形式外,sixty,seventy,ninety都是其個位數(shù)形式后添加后綴-ty構(gòu)成。

表示幾十幾時,在幾十和個位基數(shù)詞形式之間添加連字符“-”

21
twenty-one

76
seventy-six

D.百位數(shù)

個數(shù)基數(shù)詞形式加“hundred”,表示幾百,在幾十幾與百位間加上and.

101
a hundred and one

320
three hundred and twenty

648
six hundred and forty-eight

E.千位數(shù)以上

從數(shù)字的右端向左端數(shù)起,每三位數(shù)加一個逗號“,”。從右開始,第一個“,”前的數(shù)字后添加 thousand,第二個“,”

前面的數(shù)字后添加 million,第三個“,”前的數(shù)字后添加 billion。然后一節(jié)一節(jié)分別表示,兩個逗號之間最大的數(shù)為百位數(shù)形式。

2,648
two thousand six hundred and forty-eight

16,250,064
sixteen million two hundred and fifty thousand sixty-four

5,237,166,234
five billion,two hundred and thirty-seven million,one hundred and sixty-six thousand,two hundred ,and thirty-four

F.基數(shù)詞在表示確切的數(shù)字時,不能使用百、千、百萬、十億的復(fù)數(shù)形式;但是,當(dāng)基數(shù)詞表示不確切數(shù)字,如成百、成千上萬,三三兩兩時,基數(shù)詞則以復(fù)數(shù)形式出現(xiàn)。

There are hundreds of people in the hall.
大廳里有數(shù)以百計的人。

Thousands and thousands of people come to visit the Museum of Qin Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses every day.
每天有成千上萬的人來參觀秦兵馬涌博物館。

They went to the theatre in twos and threes.
他們?nèi)齼蓛傻貋淼搅藙≡骸?/div>

G.表示人的不確切歲數(shù)或年代,用幾十的復(fù)數(shù)形式表示。

He became a professor in his thirties.
他三十多歲時成為了教授。

She died of lung cancer in forties.
她四十來歲時死于肺癌。

It was in the 1960s.
那是在二十世紀六十年代。

H.基數(shù)詞的句法功能

基數(shù)詞在句中可作主語、賓語、定語、表語、同位語。

The two happily opened the box.
兩個人高興地打開了盒子。(作主語)

I need three altogether.
我總共需要三個。(作賓語)

Four students are playing volleyball outside.
四個學(xué)生在外面打排球。(作定語)

We are sixteen.
我們是16個人。(作表語)

They three tried to finish the task before sunset.
他們?nèi)齻€人盡力想在日落前完成任務(wù)。(作同位語)