3.3.- Fractions.

Another essential mathematical aspect to take into account when making business is fractions. More often than not, businesspeople talk about shares in terms of fractions: Mr Garrison owns one third of the company and the rest is owned by me. All fractions are expressed using ordinal numbers, so you must be familiar with them not to make any mistake that can cost you some money.
Numbers | Words |
---|---|
1st | First. |
2nd | Second. |
3rd | Third. |
4th | Fourth. |
5th | Fifth. |
6th | Sixth. |
7th | Seventh. |
8th | Eighth. |
9th | Ninth. |
10th | Tenth. |
20th | Twentieth. |
30th | Thirtieth. |
40th | Fortieth. |
50th | Fiftieth. |
60th | Sixtieth. |
70th | Seventieth. |
80th | Eightieth. |
90th | Ninetieth. |
100th | Hundredth. |
The rest of numbers are constructed by adding "th" at the end of the number with the exception of 12th which is written twelfth. Let's see now some examples of fractions in English:
- 1/16: one-sixteenth.
- 1/8: one-eighth.
- 2/10: two-tenths.
- 3/8: three-eighths.
Notice that if you need to use the plural all you have to do is add –s after the ordinal number. The only exception is the word second. You don't say seconds, you use the word halves instead.
A step ahead
Now, practice what you have just learnt in this section. Try the following exercise but be careful, check the spelling.