IELTS grammar. Lesson 4: numbers.

Numbers occur very often in IELTS. And if you're taking Academic IELTS test, you will have to write a lot of numbers in the 1st part of your Writing.

Many qualified test-takers make simple mistakes with numbers, which could easily be avoided. For example, do you know which option is correct: four thousand or four thousands? Actually, it's the first option. And it's totally okay if you didn't know that! We have created this lesson to help you polish your grammar skills with numbers.

Complete this lesson by reading the theory in green box and doing the exercises below.


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When you write a specific large number, don't add s to its end:

  • 5 000 000 = five million (not five millions)
  • 300 = three hundred (not three hundreds)
  • 4 000 = four thousand (not four thousands)

The noun which follows the large number is always plural (there were four hundred guests on the wedding).

Unspecific large number + of is used to show big quantities:

  • There were thousands of people on the meeting.

Always write percent without s (five percent, twenty-three percent)

Write two-figure numbers with a dash (fifty-four, seventy-two, twenty-one).

Always write 100, 1000, 1 000 000 with a or one:

  • A hundred = one hundred (not hundred)
  • A million = one million (not million)
  • A thousand = one thousand (not thousand)


Practice. Choose the correct sentence in each pair:

  1. Theare are nearly five hundreds children in this school.
    Theare are nearly five hundred children in this school.

  2. Jessica received twenty-nine roses on her birthday.
    Jessica received twenty-nine rose on her birthday.

  3. He pays for rent six hundred dollars each month.
    He pays for rent six hundred dollar each month.

  4. Million of people are involved in nature protection.
    Millions of people are involved in nature protection.

  5. Josh paid hundred pounds for a new tea-service.
    Josh paid a hundred pounds for a new tea-service.

  6. The table shows that the number of employed people has increased by two percents.
    The table shows that the number of employed people has increased by two percent.

  7. This galaxy is thousands light years away from the earth.
    This galaxy is thousands of light years away from the earth.

Write each amount from the list in words:

You can click on question sing in blue to show hint.

Example: £23 : twenty-three pounds

  1. £807 :

  2. 480,000 :

  3. 19% :

  4. $9,000,000 :

  5. $35,000 :