Collective numerals (examples).

collective numerals, examples of which are constantly encountered in everyday speech, are not used in business documents.Yes, and this concept is conditional.After all, in fact, collective numerals - it is a certain kind of quantity.But the differences between these discharges exist.

What the collective numerals?

Each part of the speech plays a role in the sentence.However, collective and quantitative numerals denote virtually the same.But their use is a significant difference.Collective numerals indicate the person who caused them than substantivization.For example: "Who are these three guys ?Certainly these three young men learned a lot, because they were shot in the famous TV series! "From the context it is clear that we are talking about the guys in the number of three persons.Thus, the answer to the question of what the collective numerals, the following: that part of the speech, which indicates the number of persons in a particular congregation of people.But to use them in relation to the animals impossible.

collective numerals

Examples of such phrases as "the two workers", "five kids," or "two boys" indicate not just the number or order of the.First of all these expressions represent a group of certain persons.An interesting fact is that in modern Russian numeral (collective) is a closed, non-productive, the surviving group of words.This phrase should be understood as follows: the language is constantly transformed and developed.However, this branch of it remains unchanged, retaining the traditional historical view.

Group collective numerals

1. special item is allocated numeral two (both). On it will be discussed separately.
2. By means of education distinguish the word "two" and "three".Their roots - corresponding cardinal numerals two and three .They are formed with the participation of the suffix -s .
3. wider group consists of collective numerals four, five and so on, up to ten.They are formed by adding the suffix -er- and ending -o.

parlance group collective numerals

Use of such entities from larger numbers should be referred to colloquially, though to dismiss all of their existence would be imprudent act.Sometimes you can find even in fiction such collective numerals.Examples of such statements are in Lavrenev novel "The Forty-First" where the main character - a girl of the people - reading his own poems.Bright and picturesque string "Dvadtsatero gone to the steppe" - that it shows that in common parlance collective numerals are used not only to those that are formed from the first ten numbers, but also from the larger.Produce them in the same manner, ie by adding the suffix - ep - and end - of .

Change collective numerals on gender, number and case

for communication in a bid to change the words.As well as the quantitative, collective numerals have number and kind.An exception in this sense is the word "two", as it can take the form of feminine - "both".But everything changed on cases collective numerals.Examples:

1. Oh, it's a great miracle when two lovers give affection to each other, create a family, give birth and raise children!(Nominative case).
2. love triangle is so named precisely because relations link three loving people , instead of two.(Accusative).
3. seven guys never had to go back to their parents - they were blown up by a mine in the first battle.(Dative).

Declination words "two" and "three»

collective numerals with nouns - such as "two boys" and "three guys" - change on cases as well as full of adjectives in a mild form, standing in the plural.For example:

Despite the fact that the two boys (R. n.) Had only one toy, quarrels between them never arose.This two of the kids (D. p.) Was so comfortable with each other that feeling of white envy their friendship arise in the soul itself.Seeing these two guys (V. n.), Enthusiastically playing the same toy, adults often thought about, and whether we are living in their adult world?The old women with the same emotion admired dvoimi kids (T. n.), Which are practically not separated even for a moment.A local gossips gossiped about these two boys (P. p.), Inventing implausible story of their origin.

Declination word "four", "five" and so on

All other quantitative and collective numerals need to be changed on cases on the principle of plural full of adjectives.Once this process passes through the solid version.It should also be remembered that the emphasis in these collective numerals standing in oblique cases, always falls on the end.We declined the expression "four singers»:

I. n. - The four singers.

R. n. - The four singers.

D. n. - The four singers.

V. n. - The four singers.

T. n. - The four singers.

P. n. - The four singers.

collective numerals Both (both)

This word stands out as the sense means not only two people, but a couple of inanimate objects.The rest of the collective numerals may denote a group of individuals only, that is, people, or inanimate beings having a human face, for example, dead.You should also know that such collective numerals as "both" can be combined with a feminine noun in the form of "both."Vail these words as well as collective numerals "two", "three", that is like a full adjective plural soft option: both both (I. n.), both both (R. n.), both, both (D. n.), both both (V. n.), both, both (T. n.), both both (P. p.).

Speech errors associated with the use of the word "both»

1. most frequently observed in a conversation substitution of the word "both" noun "wallpaper".Here, a cruel joke played by the similarity of their constituent letters.As an example, consider a message grandmother that her grandson, both returned home: "Wallpaper home, come quickly!".Her daughter is an appeal could be construed as the fact that someone bought the tapestry repair and put them in the room.
2. Often people use a form of "both" in the oblique cases in combination with nouns denoting persons or things feminine, instead of collecting the numeral "two".For example, the wrong is saying: "She has bracelets were both hands and rings and rings studded with all the fingers."Instead, speak and write like this: "She bracelets were both hands and rings and rings studded with all the fingers".

Use

collective numerals are used less frequently than quantitative. This happens because theycan be combined with a more narrow range of nouns.

1. words "two", "three", "four" and so on are used in the inanimate nouns, which exist only in the plural, for example: two scissors, three forceps, four days . "Becoming a qualified hairdresser specialist, Tatiana could not enjoy their old household tools, she had to urgently purchase two quality professional scissors».
2. used collective numerals in combinations where the noun are males, for example: five friends, two men. «Two men, dressed in identical long dark coats and scarves wrapped to the very noses, passed a hasty step, constantly looking back."
3. can use collective numerals with respect to the group, which includes people, both male and female.For example: "She had two children: a girl and a boy."
4. Sometimes collective numerals are used with personal pronouns, standing in the plural: « We remained five in the room when suddenly became completely dark, the floor trembled under his feet and began to sway like a ship's deck, and books and souvenirs, standing onshelves, noisily fell down. "« They were only four .But them , with all four , our company could no longer cope quite easily. "« you two we really did not have enough!Hurry, hurry to the table! »
5. Use of collective numerals limited stylistically.It is inappropriate to use these types of combinations in an official speech - is recommended instead of "four workers 'or' six engineers" to write and say "four working ',' six engineers."

errors in the use of collective numerals

1. most often seen such nuance misuse of this group of words, as a combination of them with the nouns denoting females, for example: «four pilgrims", "five nuns", "three students".Instead, use cardinal numbers, such as: «four pilgrim", "five nuns", "three students» .
2. absolutely unacceptable to use collective numerals with inanimate nouns have a single number, for example: «two instruments", "three tables» .This requires, as in the above paragraph, use combinations «two instruments", "three tables» .
3. collective numerals can not be combined with animate nouns denoting not the face, and animals such as: «Three Bears» instead «Three Bears» , «four bulls» instead «four bull ».

variant forms of quantitative use of nouns and collective numerals

Russian language differs from all others in that there are always options that could replace one another equivalent expression.Often, the possibility of using phrases like nouns with collective numerals and quantitative.Such substitutions are possible in the following cases.

1. Speaking about persons male permitted variation: «four spies» and «four bacon» , «two detectives» and «two detective» .
2. in phrases nouns denoting singular objects, but in the singular Do not drink, and collective numerals (except for "two", "three" and "four") can be used and quantitative.For example: «five gates" - "five gates," "Seven fork" - "seven forks» .

But the conclusion should be repeated: collective numerals are more appropriate in common parlance, in colloquial speech.If the author aims to write text beautiful literary language, these phrases should be avoided.But in fiction (in case of dialogue), they will help to add color to the characters, to convey the spirit of the age.Absolutely can not use collective numerals in documents and official speeches.