2.230 Referring to the number of things: cardinal numbers

If you want to refer to some or all of the things in a group, you can indicate how many things you are referring to by using a cardinal numbers.

• There were about six Turkish boys in it.
• By Christmas, we had ten cows.

When you use a determiner and a number in front of a noun, you put the determiner in front of the number.

• ...the three young men.
• ...these four walls.
• ...my two daughters.
• Watch the eyes of any two people engrossed in conversation.
• All three candidates are coming to Blackpool later this week.

When you put a number and an adjective in front of a noun, you usually put the number in front of the adjective.

• ...two small children.
• ...fifteen hundred local residents.
• ...three beautiful young girls.