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O.ABOOTTY Posted 15 years ago
Vocabulary
ORDINAL NUMBER
In my native tongue Malayalam and also in other Indian vernaculars, there is a question word ethraamathe? The answer to this question word is an ordinal number like 3rd, 5th, 10th. But in English there is no one word for this ordinal number question. The English are said to use what number to ask a question that elicits an ordinal number as answer: What number president of America was Abraham Lincoln?
Do you know any other ways of asking such a question? If you know, please let me know?
O.Abootty
Do you know any other ways of asking such a question? If you know, please let me know?
O.Abootty
Top answer
Namaskaram! My parents speak Malayalam, but I only understand some of it. Although it is an awkward form, your sentence makes sense.
- Namaskaram!
- My parents speak Malayalam, but I only understand some of it.
- Although it is an awkward form, your sentence makes sense.
- " are other forms.
- " and give an indication that you want an ordinal number in a seperate sentence.
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4 Answers
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Namaskaram! My parents speak Malayalam, but I only understand some of it.
Although it is an awkward form, your sentence makes sense. "Which number president was...?" and "What is Abraham Lincoln's president number?" are other forms. The more common method is to ask only "Which president was Abraham Lincoln?" and give an indication that you want an ordinal number in a seperate sentence. Us
Although it is an awkward form, your sentence makes sense. "Which number president was...?" and "What is Abraham Lincoln's president number?" are other forms. The more common method is to ask only "Which president was Abraham Lincoln?" and give an indication that you want an ordinal number in a seperate sentence. Us
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This question comes up over and over and over on English Forums -- type "howmanyth" into he search box to see some of the previous discussions.
The biref answer is that English does not have a good way to ask this question. Somehow we manage to muddle along without it.
The biref answer is that English does not have a good way to ask this question. Somehow we manage to muddle along without it.
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