表示“幾點(diǎn)差幾分”用介詞to, 但分?jǐn)?shù)須在半小時(shí)以上。例如:
twenty to nine,
five to eight,
a quarter to ten
表示“幾點(diǎn)幾分”還可直接用基數(shù)詞。例如:
seven fifteen,
eleven thirty,
nine twenty
2. 序數(shù)詞的用法
(1)序數(shù)詞主要用作定語,前面要加定冠詞,例如:
The first truck is carrying a foot baskets.
John lives on the fifteenth floor.
(2)序數(shù)詞有時(shí)前面可加不定冠詞來表示“再一”,“又一”這樣的意思,例如:
We'll have to do it a second time.
Shall I ask him a third time?
When I sat down,a fourth man rose to speak.
(3)由幾個(gè)序數(shù)詞和基數(shù)詞在拼寫時(shí)不對(duì)應(yīng),很容易寫錯(cuò),應(yīng)特別注意。它們是:one---first, two---second, three---third, five---fifth, eight---eighth, nine---ninth, twelve---twelfth。
(4)表示年,月,日時(shí), 年用基數(shù)詞表示,日用序數(shù)詞表示。例如:
1949年十月一日讀作: October (the) first, nineteen sixty
2004年九月十日讀作:September (the) tenth, two thousand and four
(5)表示分?jǐn)?shù)時(shí),分子用基數(shù)詞表示,分母用序數(shù)詞表示。分子大于1時(shí),分母加-s。例如:
three fourths,
one second,
two fifths
(6)序數(shù)詞有時(shí)用縮寫形式:
first→1st second→2nd
third→3rd fourth→4th
twenty-second→22nd