How can we ask about the ordinal number in a series?

Question

How can we ask a question to get an answer like:

1. It's the third house from the corner of the street.
2. He is second in the queue. (is this expression used only inBritishEng?)
It seems that there isn't a very specific word or expression for asking about ordinals as in other languages, but there there must be a natural way of doing it.
Thanks.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]How can we ask a question to get an answer like: 1. It's the third house from the corner of ... expression for asking about ordinals as in other languages, but there there mustbe a natural way of doing it. Thanks.[/nq]
Interesting question: it would be nice to have expressions such as "Whichth house is it?" but we don't. Most often I think we'll make a sentence with "Where...?" or "Which...?", supplying a context if necessary.
"Where was he in the queue?" For a race we tend to use "come" or "finish": "Where did you come/finish in the hundred metres?" "Where in the street is the house?" Formally, we'd have to write a phrase with "position" or "place": for example, "What was his position in the batting order?"
"Which house is it?" is more open, and might be expecting a description rather than an ordinal number. "It's the white bungalow opposite the church" is as likely a reply as "It's the fourth on the left." But since almost every house in Britain has a name or number displayed, the starting point for identification would nearly always be a number; if there's only a name, which is common in villages and on country roads, then you get into the more complex answer.

I have a feeling that very informally in conversation we might use an invented *"How manyeth...?" It's the kind of thing I might do myself, but it would be done consciously and with slightly jocular intent; and many people never play these tricks with the language.

I assume we don't have such expressions because we don't really need them; but I'm glad you asked. I imagine others will be able to add to my remarks.
Mike.

Usenet · Answer

I'd say 'What number house is it from the corner?', and 'What number is he in the queue?' This was discussed a bit in regard to birth order, in http://tinyurl.com/55fde and other threads.

john

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]How can we ask a question to get an answer like: 1. It's the third house from the corner of the street.[/nq]
"Which house is it?" may get you that response but will not force to responder to give it in that form.
[nq:1]2. He is second in the queue. (is this expression used only in BritishEng?)[/nq]
"Where is he in the queue?" and "How far from the
front is he in the queue?" may yield such a response.

"Line" is in common usage in the US for "queue", but the latter is more common in Bharat (aka India).
[nq:1]It seems that there isn't a very specific word or expression for asking about ordinals as in other languages, but there there must be a natural way of doing it. Thanks.[/nq]
English, as I often say, is Munglish.
Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

Usenet · Answer

It is, as Mike says, an interesting question. We don't appear to have a question-word (viz What, How, Who, Which etc.) which demands an ordinal number as a reply.
It seems to me that if I'm expecting an ordinal number as a reply, then the most likely question-word is 'where':
'where are you in the queue?'
'where is he in succession to the throne?'
'where did she come in the race?'
Asking about houses in a street is a bit of a red herring, because we don't generally use ordinal numbers for this:
'which house is it?' - 'it's number seventeen'.

Regards,
Mark Barratt

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]It is, as Mike says, an interesting question. We don't appear to have a question-word (viz What, How, Who, Which ... are you in the queue?' 'where is he in succession to the throne?' 'where did she come in the race?'[/nq]
How about "where did she come in in the race?" I think that second "in" is necessary. (I was going to suggest "in which position did she finish the race" but changed my mind.)
Maria Conlon
Tricky business, this English usage.

Usenet · Answer

'Where did she finish in the race?' solves the ungainliness problem of a double 'in'. Not that that is something everyone would worry over, I suppose.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2] How about "where did she come in in ... position did she finish the race" but changed my mind.)[/nq]
[nq:1]'Where did she finish in the race?' solves the ungainliness problemof a double 'in'. Not that that is something everyone would worryover, I suppose.[/nq]
Is this Pondiality? It's certainly quite OK over here to say "She came in first in the 1500"; but "She came first in the 1500" is perfectly normal, and I think it's more common.
Mike.

Usenet · Answer

Something got lost here:

Well, sure, Mike. Are you de-evolving into a Coop, not reading carefully? Maria suggested 'Where did she come in in the race?' Not too bad, but I claimed 'Where did she finish in the race?' is less jarring. If she came in first, I'd write it the first way you wrote it, although I wouldn't get overly upset seeing it the second way: wouldn't like it one **** bit, but it certainly wouldn't ruin my day.
Charles Riggs
Don't believe that accented letter in my address is actually accented.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Something got lost here:[/nq]
[nq:2]of over, I Is this Pondiality? It's certainly quite OK ... 1500" is perfectly normal, and I think it's more common[/nq]
[nq:1]Well, sure, Mike. Are you de-evolving into a Coop, not reading carefully? Maria suggested 'Where did she come in in the race?' Not too bad, but I claimed 'Where did she finish in the race?' is less jarring. [/nq]
I thought I was commenting on the two "ins": Maria said she though both were necessary, and I said that over here they weren't. No disagreement with what you offered.
Mike.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]... Maria suggested 'Where did she come in in the ... 'Where did she finish in the race?' isless jarring. [/nq]
[nq:1]I thought I was commenting on the two "ins": Maria said shethough both were necessary, and I said that over here they weren't. No disagreement with what you offered.[/nq]
Mark's original version was: "where did she come in the race?"

For me, "come" is not the same as "finish," at least not when speaking of a contest. "Come in" can be, though. Thus: "come in" = "finish." Note that "come in" is not equal to "finish in."

Continuing: if you want something comparable to "finish *in*," you need "come in in."
I can accept (from your comment and Mark's original version) that the second "in" is not necessary Over There. But Over Here, that BrE-ism would sound awkward to many people.
Maria Conlon, Southeast Michigan, USA.
Ending her current contribution to the subject.

How can we ask about the ordinal number in a series?

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