* Numbers

Looking at Numbers

(in Columbus articles) * (in George Washington article)

DEFINITE and INDEFINITE NOUNS * QUANTIFIERS

INDEFINITE

How many ships?

NUMBER + s. or pl. NOUN
one man
One explanation
one part
one ship
One view
two men
two caravels
Two hours
two other officials
two voyages
two powerful kingdoms
three caravels
three summits
four centuries
four days
five months
six ships
 six parts
ten days
16 Spaniards
17 vessels
25 years
38 men
56 men
200 men
500 prisoners
2,000 years
3,900 miles
500,000 maravedis

DEFINITE

Three of which ships? 7 of whom?

NUMBER + of + pl. DEFINITE NOUN or pronoun
one
one
one
one
One
three
seven 		of
of
of
of
of
of
of 		the first families
the finest sailors
the greatest mariners
his contemporaries
his youngest ... lieutenants
his ships
the inhabitants

Which three ships? Which 2 men?

DEF. ARTICLE + NUMBER + NOUN
the
the
the
the first
the first
the other
his
his
the
the other
the
the remaining 		two men
two different ... strains
two Iberian powers
two American vessels
two (ships)
two (ships)
two captains
three vessels
three ships
three (ships)
five (that remained)
six years


number = pronoun
NO NOUN or pronoun

with 12
the first two
the other two
the other three
the five

explaining the number
ADV + NUMBER (+ NOUN)

about 70 followers
about 5,000 Native American slaves
about 3,000,000 people
more than 2,000 years
more than 400 years
More than 1,000,000 maravedis

What about other quantifiers?

Looking at Numbers

(in George Washington article)

INDEFINITE

How many hands?
(NUMBER + s. or pl. NOUN)
one hand
one element
one messenger
one threadbare blanket
one visitor
one year
two agents
two committees
two companies
two horses
two inches
two months
two harmonious temperaments
two years
three different forms
three sides
four bullets
four children
four days
four miles
four months
four or six smart horses
four others
four times
five years
six brigades
six days
six feet 		nine others
15 paces
16 times
20 miles
40 feet
49 slaves
500 men
700 men
1,000 prisoners
one thousand men
2,000 guests
2,600 men
3,500 Virginia militia
4,000 men
5,000 French regulars
5,000 men
5,500 Continentals
6,000 men
7,000 British regulars
8,000 acres
8,000 men

DEFINITE

One of which faults? two of whom?
(NUMBER + of + DEFINITE NOUN or pronoun)
one
one
one
one
one
one
one
one
one
one
one
two
2,000 		of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
of 		his chief faults
its first tasks
the best Virginia estates
the chief proprietors
the considerable fortunes
the most powerful colonies
the richest .. of Virginia planters
the timbers
Virginia's five delegates
the seven delegates to the first CC
them
them
whom
Which two men? Which 4 years?
(DEF. ARTICLE + NUMBER + NOUN)
the
the
the
the
his
his
the
the
Virginia's
the
the
those
the
his
his
the last
his last
the next
the next
the next		 two men
two parties
two states
two stepchildren
two Hudson River forts
two oldest sons
three British regiments at Princeton
four members of his first cabinet
five delegates
seven delegates to the first CC
seven years prior to 1775
eight months
18 slaves that came with the estate
20 veteran regiments
350 men
two and a half years of his life
four years in office
four years
eight years
20 years

(number = pronoun)
NO NOUN or pronoun

(an army of) 18,000
(hang) two or three

SPECIAL

thousands of men

explaining the number
ADV + NUMBER (+ NOUN)
about 40 miles
about 160 men
about 2,400 men
about 9,000 men
about 15,000 acres
about 20,000 men
all three of the charges
at least one buffalo 		more than two years
more than 5,000,000 acres
nearly 10 pounds
nearly 400 miles
nearly 700 miles
nearly 30,000
only 175 pounds
only 11,000 men
only some 700 .. colonial troops

What about other quantifiers?

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois