Lesson Plan for Using Large Numbers
Many foreigners seem to have trouble using big numbers (over 10 thousand) in English. It is really quite easy once you get the hang of it. The secret is to look at the comma separators and place divisions in large numbers. Numbers below 1000 are easy.
5= five 73= seventy three 129= one hundred and twenty nine
In using large numbers, you are basically repeating this simple process, but between the comma separators you include additional words for the place divisions. These words are thousand, million, billion, trillion, and zillion.
| Trillion | Billion | Million | Thousand | Hundred | Tens & Ones | |
| 1,344 | 1 | 3 | 44 | |||
| 16,798 | 16 | 7 | 98 | |||
| 123,787 | 123 | 7 | 87 | |||
| 3,655,102 | 3 | 655 | 1 | 02 | ||
| 77,503,911 | 77 | 503 | 9 | 11 | ||
| 1,689,237,705 | 1 | 689 | 237 | 7 | 05 | |
| 99,237,008,478,208 | 99 | 237 | 8 | 478 | 2 | 99 |
77,503,911=
seventy seven million, five hundred and three thousand, nine hundred and eleven
In this digit,
1- say the basic number before the first comma (77),
2- add the place division word (million),
3- say the basic number before the second comma (503)
4- say the place division word (thousand),
5- then say the small number (911)
Practice saying these numbers with your partner.
12,567 343,756 24,457, 800
458,903,111 123,456,789 6,840,678,236
45,693,777,043 543,867,903,040
111,222,333,444,555 56,583,694,784,223,275
In very, very large (or small) numbers scientific notation is used.
The number 15 X 104 is read as: 15 times 10 to the fourth.
The small number 22 X 10–5 is read as 22 times 10 to the negative fifth.
Other Links for Expressing Numbers
XX Expressing Numbers
XX Saying Numbers
XX Large Numbers
To find conversation activities for using large numbers
and dialogues about using large numbers take a look at:
OR
English conversation activities on using large numbers in English- yadayadaenglish.com.com