Numbers as pronouns - PRONOUNS - Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions

Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Pronouns and Prepositions, Premium 3rd Edition (2016)

Part I. PRONOUNS

Chapter 6. Numbers as pronouns

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Numbers function as pronouns when they stand for a noun that is understood or has been omitted as well as the number itself. Both cardinal and ordinal numbers serve this function.

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The cardinal numbers continue into infinity. However, after décimo (“tenth”), the ordinal forms offer two possibilities: Continue in the pattern with ordinal numbers—onceavo (“eleventh”), doceavo (“twelfth”), treceavo(“thirteenth”), etc.—or, more commonly, use the cardinal number either alone or placed after the noun.

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Cardinal numbers as pronouns

When used as pronouns, cardinal numbers include the significance of the understood noun, for example, “How many children do you have? I have three.” In this case, “three” represents “three children.” Remember that when you use the number uno (“one”) as a pronoun, it changes to una when replacing a feminine noun.

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Traducción Unless otherwise indicated, use the second-person singular Spanish form for English you.

1. How many cars do you have? I have one.

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2. How many houses do you have? I have one.

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3. How many cookies do you want? I want ten.

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4. How many hamburgers do you [pl., formal] want? Jane wants two and I want one.

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5. How many people are there in your family? There are three.

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6. He has seven dogs, but I only have six.

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7. He sees many stars (la estrella) in the sky (el cielo), but I see only one.

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8. Maria knows (conocer) all these paintings (la pintura), but we know only one.

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9. I only have one telephone, but one is better than nothing.

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10. How many cards (el naipe) do you want? I want one.

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Ordinal numbers as pronouns

When an ordinal number serves as an adjective, it precedes the noun and agrees with it in number and gender. The noun in these cases is always in its singular form: el segundo libro, la segunda iglesia.

If the noun is omitted, the ordinal number serves instead as a pronoun. The meaning of the noun is then understood, its gender is shown by the -o or -a ending, and the article is retained: el segundo libro becomes el segundo.

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Note that as adjectives, the ordinals primero and tercero drop the -o when preceding a masculine singular noun: el primer libro, el tercer libro. As a pronoun, the -o ending is retained: el primero, el tercero.

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Based on the numbered order of the pictures, complete each sentence with the appropriate ordinal pronoun. The first item has been done for you.

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1. El árbol es el séptimo.

2. La lámpara es ____________________________.

3. El zapato es ____________________________.

4. El vaso es ____________________________.

5. La bolsa es ____________________________.

6. El gato es ____________________________.

7. La corbata es ____________________________.

8. El portatíl es ____________________________.

9. El reloj es ____________________________.

10. La mesa es ____________________________.

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Traducción

1. I live in the second house on the left (a la izquierda), and Miguel lives in the sixth.

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2. Who lives in the eighth house? I don’t know, but Marcos lives in the seventh.

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3. My car is the third (one) on the right (a la derecha), and Ricardo’s car is the fourth (one).

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4. The Bible says that Adam (Adán) is the first person and that Eve (Eva) is the second.

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5. The first movie (la película) usually is better than (mejor que) the second.

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6. The actor’s third movie is better than the fourth.

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7. His fifth book is more interesting than the sixth.

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8. In Spain, the first day of the week is Monday, and the seventh is Sunday.

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9. The eighth month is August, the ninth is September, and the tenth is October.

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10. The first puzzle (el enigma) is harder (más difícil) than the second.

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11. Today is the first (day) of autumn.

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12. The first time (la vez) is always better than the second, the third, and so on (y así sucesivamente).

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Traducción

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When we eat together, my friend and I compete (in order) to see who can eat more. For example, when we eat crackers, if I eat one, he eats two. Then I eat three, and he eats four. The first contestant with an empty plate is the winner. This is easy with crackers or grapes or cherries. But it is very difficult with hamburgers. The first is delicious. The second is, too. The third is not bad. The fourth is a challenge. The fifth is absurd—also the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth. The ninth is pure torture. And the tenth is impossible. It’s worse with pies!

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