Typical Mistakes with English Numbers- Error Correction Task
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Common ways of mispronouncing numbers review, including L1 interference and sounds which are difficult to say and put together.
Lesson Plan Content:
Typical Mistakes with English Numbers- Error Correction Task
Find one mistake in each line of the three sections below. All have exactly one mistake (of
many different kinds).
Part One: Typical mistakes writing English numbers
1.000.000
1,0000
1,25
92th
thirty five parcent
thirtith
2015/10/25
25 kms
24:00:00
This meeting lasts for two-hours.
a four day week
Part Two: Typical mistakes with numbers in phrases and sentences
What percent of people might buy this product?
A large amount of people already have it.
We need a large number of cheese.
a three-days weekend
two million of people
most of people
They won three against nil.
in the midnight
exact twelve o’clock
a twenty-four-hours clock
He finished in six place in the race.
Part Three: Typical mistakes pronouncing English numbers
Large numbers
twenty hundred
ten thousands
seven millions
two billions
three point seven trillions
million and million of parcels
a few hundreds
a thousand seven hundred
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2016
half million
one million and seven hundred thousand
one thousand and two hundred twenty three
one point seven thousand
one point two hundred
one point two three four five six seven million
Times
thirteen o’clock
half to seven
half past nineteen
half past twelve o’clock
a quarter past six p.m.
seven zero nine p.m.
four past five in the afternoon
six past seven
Dates
the two of December
in the early seventy (= 1970 – 1973)
the twenty century
(in the year) one thousand nine hundred and seventy one
two thousand and fifteen year
Fractions
one and a half week
half a weeks
half hour
one and two third
seventy-three twenty-fifths
Decimals
nought point five litre
nought point oh thirty three
oh point nought four percent
nought point double oh seven
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2016
Frequency
once every three month
once per a week
once a two weeks
Others
My telephone number is twenty seven thirty three forty seven
Part Four: Consonant clusters in numbers word building pronunciation practice
Pronounce the numbers below in the order given, making sure that you keep the same
number of syllables each time. Don’t say the extra words in brackets for now.
(half a) week/ (two) weeks
(a) million/ (millions and) millions
twenty second (place)/ twenty seconds (left)
(decimal) point/ (decimal) points
first (of all)/ (two world) firsts
fifth (place)/ (two) fifths
(a) month/ (three) months
(the) third/ (two) thirds
ten (cars)/ tenth (out of ten)/ (three) tenths
(a) hundred/ hundredth (in a list of three hundred)/ (seven) hundredths
(one) thousand/ (a) thousandth/ (five) thousandths
six (items on today’s agenda)/ (the) sixth (of December)/ (four) sixths
Do the same, but also pronouncing the words in brackets.
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2016
Answers
If there are two or more answers (divided by “OR”), the first is the most common and/ or
most useful.
Part One: Typical mistakes writing English numbers
1,000,000
10,000
1.25
92nd
thirty five percent
thirtieth
25/10/2015 OR 10/25/2015
25 km
00:00:00
This meeting lasts for two hours.
a four-day week
Part Two: Typical mistakes with numbers in phrases and sentences
What percentage of people might buy this product?
A large number of people already have it.
We need a large amount of cheese.
a three-day weekend
two million people
most people OR most of those people OR most of the people (depending on what you
mean)
They won three nil.
in the middle of the night OR at midnight (depending on what you mean)
exactly twelve o’clock
a twenty-four-hour clock
He finished in sixth place in the race.
Part Three: Typical mistakes pronouncing English numbers
Large numbers
two thousand
ten thousand
seven million
two billion
three point seven trillion
millions and millions of parcels
a few hundred
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2016
one thousand seven hundred
half a million
one million seven hundred thousand
one thousand two hundred (and) twenty three
one thousand seven hundred
one hundred and twenty
one million two hundred (and) thirty four thousand five hundred (and) sixty seven
Times
one p.m. OR one o’clock in the afternoon OR thirteen hundred hours
half past six
seven thirty p.m. OR half past seven in the evening OR nineteen thirty
half past twelve
a quarter past six in the evening OR six fifteen p.m.
seven oh nine p.m.
four minutes past five in the afternoon
six minutes past seven
Dates
the second of December OR December second
in the early seventies (= 1970 – 1973)
the twentieth century
(in the year) nineteen and seventy one
(in the year) two thousand and fifteen OR (in the year) twenty fifteen
Fractions
one and a half weeks
half a week
half an hour OR a half hour
one and two thirds
seventy three over twenty five
Decimals
nought point five litres OR zero point five litres
nought point oh three three OR zero point zero three three
nought point oh four percent OR zero point zero four percent
nought point oh oh seven OR zero point zero zero seven
Frequency
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2016
once every three months
once a week OR once per week
once every two weeks
Others
My telephone number is two seven three three four seven
Written by Alex Case for UsingEnglish.com © 2016
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