Ordinal Numbers (Grade 2)
Ordinal numbers tell us the position or order of things. They answer the question: "In which place?"
In Class 2, you learn ordinal numbers from first (1st) to twentieth (20th). Ordinal numbers are used when we talk about the order of people in a line, the position of a runner in a race, or the floor number in a building.
What is Ordinal Numbers (Grade 2) - Class 2 Maths (Numbers up to 200)?
Ordinal numbers show the position of something in a list or line. They are different from counting numbers (1, 2, 3 ...) because they tell us the order, not the amount.
| Position | Word | Short Form |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First | 1st |
| 2 | Second | 2nd |
| 3 | Third | 3rd |
| 4 | Fourth | 4th |
| 5 | Fifth | 5th |
| 6 | Sixth | 6th |
| 7 | Seventh | 7th |
| 8 | Eighth | 8th |
| 9 | Ninth | 9th |
| 10 | Tenth | 10th |
| 11 | Eleventh | 11th |
| 12 | Twelfth | 12th |
| 13 | Thirteenth | 13th |
| 14 | Fourteenth | 14th |
| 15 | Fifteenth | 15th |
| 16 | Sixteenth | 16th |
| 17 | Seventeenth | 17th |
| 18 | Eighteenth | 18th |
| 19 | Nineteenth | 19th |
| 20 | Twentieth | 20th |
Types and Properties
Ordinal vs Cardinal numbers:
- Cardinal numbers tell "how many" — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ...
- Ordinal numbers tell "which position" — 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th ...
Example: There are 5 children in a line (cardinal). Ria is the 3rd child (ordinal).
Solved Examples
Example 1: Position in a Line
Question: Five children stand in a line: Aman, Priya, Kavi, Aditi, Rahul. Who is in the 4th position?
Think:
- 1st — Aman
- 2nd — Priya
- 3rd — Kavi
- 4th — Aditi
Answer: Aditi is in the 4th position.
Example 2: Race Results
Question: In a race, Dev came 1st, Meera came 2nd, and Arjun came 3rd. Who came second?
Think:
- 1st = Dev
- 2nd = Meera
- 3rd = Arjun
Answer: Meera came second.
Example 3: Months of the Year
Question: Which is the 6th month of the year?
Think:
- 1st = January, 2nd = February, 3rd = March
- 4th = April, 5th = May, 6th = June
Answer: The 6th month is June.
Example 4: Floor Number
Question: Neha lives on the 8th floor. Her friend lives on the 5th floor. Who lives on a higher floor?
Think:
- 8th is a higher position than 5th
Answer: Neha lives on a higher floor.
Example 5: Days of the Week
Question: What is the 3rd day of the week?
Think:
- 1st = Monday, 2nd = Tuesday, 3rd = Wednesday
Answer: The 3rd day of the week is Wednesday.
Example 6: Position from the Right
Question: There are 7 books on a shelf. Which book is 2nd from the right?
Think:
- Start counting from the right side
- The rightmost book is 1st from the right
- The next one is 2nd from the right
Answer: The 2nd book from the right is the 6th book from the left.
Example 7: Write the Short Form
Question: Write the short form for: fifteenth, twelfth, nineteenth
Think:
- Fifteenth = 15th
- Twelfth = 12th
- Nineteenth = 19th
Answer: 15th, 12th, 19th
Key Points to Remember
- Ordinal numbers tell the position of something: first, second, third ...
- Short forms use the number + letters: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th ...
- From 4th to 20th, all short forms end in th (except 11th, 12th, 13th which also end in th).
- Positions can be counted from the left or from the right.
- Ordinal numbers are used for dates, floors, positions in races, and ranks.
Practice Problems
- Write the ordinal numbers from 1st to 10th.
- Aditi is 7th in a line of 15 children. How many children are behind her?
- Which is the 9th month of the year?
- Write the short form of: eleventh, sixteenth, twentieth.
- In a spelling contest, Kavi got 3rd place and Dev got 5th place. Who did better?
- There are 10 flowers. Which flower is 4th from the right?
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are ordinal numbers?
Ordinal numbers tell the position or order of things, like first, second, third. They answer the question 'Which one in order?'
Q2. What is the difference between ordinal and cardinal numbers?
Cardinal numbers tell how many (1, 2, 3 ...). Ordinal numbers tell the order or position (1st, 2nd, 3rd ...). For example, '5 apples' uses cardinal; '5th in line' uses ordinal.
Q3. What comes after tenth?
After tenth (10th) comes eleventh (11th), then twelfth (12th), thirteenth (13th), and so on up to twentieth (20th).
Q4. How do I write ordinal numbers in short form?
Write the number followed by the last two letters of the word. 1st, 2nd, 3rd use special endings. From 4th onwards, most end in 'th'.
Q5. Where do we use ordinal numbers in daily life?
We use ordinal numbers for dates (15th August), positions in races (1st place), floors (3rd floor), and order in a queue.
Q6. Can we count ordinal positions from the right?
Yes. We can count from the left or from the right. The 1st from the right means the last item on the right side.
Q7. What is the ordinal number for 20?
The ordinal number for 20 is twentieth, written as 20th.
