1
1st, 2nd, 3rd
Learner’s Book 1: Unit 6, pp. 87–90
GoalSay and write ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd …) to show the position of people and things in a line.
New words
ordinal number · a number that tells the place in order, like 1st or 2ndposition · where something isfirst · the one at the very start
Explanation
Ordinal numbers tell us the position of a person or a thing. They tell us who is first, who is second and who is third. An ordinal number is not a ‘how many’ number. We can write them like this: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. We can also say them with words: first, second, third, fourth, fifth. In a race, the runner at the front is 1st. The runner behind is 2nd. We also use them for the order we do things in: 1st we put on our socks, 2nd we put on our shoes.
Ordinal numbers in numbers and words
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| first | second | third | fourth | fifth |
Worked examples
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ali | Sara | Leo | Mia | Zara |
Eight boats are in a row. The coloured square shows where the 6th boat is. Count the squares from the start: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Nodira is 4th in a long line. That does not mean there are 4 children. It only tells us her place. There may be 10 children in the line.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|
| walk home | eat lunch | do homework |
Class activity
Line-up game: put 5 toys in a row on the floor. Your partner says, ‘Touch the 3rd toy!’ or ‘Which toy is 1st?’ Take turns. Then change the order and play again.
Practice
1
Who came 2nd in the race?
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nodira | Kenji | Ravi | Ana |
Kenji
2
The coloured square is in which place? Say it with a number and a word.
4th, fourth
3
Sara is 5th in the queue. Does ‘5th’ tell us there are 5 children?
No. It only tells her place; there may be more children.
4
Write first, second and third with numbers and letters.
1st, 2nd, 3rd