数 词 的 基 本 用 法
江汉油田广华中学      董丽君
 
英语中，数词一般分基数词和序数词两大类。基数词和序数词又可以用来构成分数词。这些数词可以用来表达确定数目，也可以用来表达不确定数目。中学英语教材中，学习英语数词的难点并不在于计算，而在于如何使用。因此，对数词的考查应重点集中在，如何用数词来表达数量（包括确定数量和不确定数量）、顺序、时间、倍数以及构成复合形容词作名词修饰语等。
一、用基数词表示数量
1、用基数词表示确定数量。
用基数词表示确定数量时，技术词（包括加hundred, thousand, million, billion等构成的数词）要用单数形式，后面的复数名词前一般不得加of。例如：
比较以下正误：
The project lasted 5 years and cost 2 billion dollars.
The Chinese have been making paper for two thousand years.
One thousand pounds is a lot of money.
(F) I sold a hundred of books by myself.
(T) I sold a hundred books by myself.
(F) I have two hundreds pounds.
(T) I have two hundred dollars.
英语中，名词dozen（一打，12个）和score（20个）也与hundred, thousand, million有相似的用法。在表示确定数量时，dozen, score用于基数词之后也不能”-s”。例如：
Shortly after the accident, three dozens police were sent to the spot to keep order. (MET92)
Two score years of prison life has made Nelson a nationally recognized man. (93 上海题)
2、用基数词表示不确定数量
用基数词表示不确定数量的方式有以下两种：
⑴ 在基数词前加表示“多于”“少于”“不到”“接近”“大约”“左右”意义的（如 or, or so, about, some, around, round, more or less, more than, less than, over, above, under, below, nearly, almost等）。例如：
They move on to a new place every two or three years. (SB. 1 A P.15)
The population of Canada is about 29 million. (SB. 2A P.38)
Three famous parks in and around London had over 1400 trees blown over. (SB.2A P.64)
There will be more than three hundred scientists attending the meeting to be held the day after tomorrow. (93 上海题)
Hundred, thousand, million等在several 之后一般用单数形式。但是，hundred , thousand , million 等被several, many, a few, some修饰时，既可用复数形式，也可用单数形式。例如：
But the carmakers haven’t decided if they will put it into production because it would add several hundred dollars to the cost of their cars. (NMET 95)
比较以下试题：
1、Mr.Smith________me to buy several_____eggs for the dinner.(94上海题)
A.asked…dozen   B.suddested,,,dozens of    C.had,,,dozen    D.persuaded…dozens
2、____people in the world are sending information by E_mail every day.(2001春上海题)
A. Several million    B. Many millions     C. Several millions     D. Many million
解析：此题的干扰项B. Many millions D. Many million 一般写作Many millions of; C. Several millions应写作Several millions of.
⑵ 用基数词的复数形式表示不确定数量。英语中，hundred, thousand, million, billion 这些词用于确定数量时，不用复数形式， 后面直接加名词，但是，这些词用来表示不确定数量时，必须使用复数形式，同时，接“of+复数名词”。例如：
At that time, gold was discovered in California and thousands of people rushed there to look for gold.(SB. 2A P.28)
需要注意的是：a hundred (and one); a thousand ( and one), a million 有时也可以表示不定数量， 用于夸张，类似汉语中的：“十分可惜”， “百年大计”， “十万火急”， “百万雄师”等成语中数词的用法。例如：
There are a hundred and one questions to ask.
A thousand thanks for your kindness.
He made a thousand and one excuses.
二、用分数（百分数） 表示数量
分数时由基数词和序数词合成的。分子用基数词，分母用序数词。分子是1时，分母（序数词）用单数形式；分子大于1时，分母（序数词）用复数形式。百分数由基数词后直接加percent ( per cent)构成。用分数（百分数）表示数量关系时，需要在分数（百分数）和表示人或物的名词之间加上介词of。例如：
Canada has one third of the world’s supply of fresh water. (SB..2A P.39)
This is because two-thirds of the earth’s surface is made up of vast oceans. (SB. 2B P.20)
As a result, they saved 90% ( ninety percent) of the trees in the forest. (SB. 1A P.18)
At present about 89% of smokers are male. (SB.2A P.8)
比较以下高考题：
1、About _______ of the workers in that steel works are young people. (83高考题)
A．third-fifths      B. three-fifths     C.　three-fives  D.　three-fifth
注意：分数用作前置定语时，后有连字符号（如：a two-thirds mile）。当分数相当于名词是，用不用连字符号皆可，因此，three fifths of the workers 和four-fifths of the books 均可。
2、____of the land in that district ____ covered with trees and grass.(2000 上海题)教育论文在线 http://www.lw26.com
A. Two fifth…is  　B. Two fifth…are    C. Two fifths…is    D. Two fifths…are
三、用数词表示顺序
表示顺序用的序数词与基数词是不同的。例如：“第九课”的读法有以下两种：

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