Ordinal Numbers Year 4 Worksheet (With Answers) | PBD Module 4
Ordinal numbers Year 4 lessons are part of Module 4: Celebrations, where pupils learn to talk about dates, birthdays and positions. This PBD worksheet covers learning standard 3.2.3 and has two parts: matching ordinal words to numbers, and using ordinal numbers to describe the position of fruits in a row.
Most pupils can say “first, second, third” easily. The marks are usually lost on spelling: fifth, ninth, twelfth and twentieth all break the pattern. This post explains the answers and the spelling rules behind them.
Answers
Part A: Circle the right number
| No. | Word | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tenth | 10th |
| 2 | twelfth | 12th |
| 3 | fifteenth | 15th |
| 4 | sixteenth | 16th |
| 5 | nineteenth | 19th |
| 6 | twentieth | 20th |
| 7 | twenty-third | 23rd |
| 8 | twenty-fifth | 25th |
| 9 | twenty-eighth | 28th |
| 10 | thirtieth | 30th |
Part B: Answer the questions
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which fruit is third? | avocado |
| 2 | What place is the papaya in? | sixth |
| 3 | What place is the orange in? | second |
| 4 | Which fruit is fifth? | banana |
| 5 | Which fruit is last? | cherry |
Tip for Part B: Pupils should point at each fruit and count aloud from the left: “first, second, third…”. Many mistakes come from starting the count at the wrong end.
Ordinal Number Spelling Rules
Most ordinal numbers just add -th: four → fourth, six → sixth, ten → tenth. These are the exceptions pupils need to learn:
| Rule | Examples | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3 are special | first, second, third | |
| -ve becomes -f | five → fifth, twelve → twelfth | |
| Drop the -e | nine → ninth | |
| Eight only adds -h | eight → eighth | |
| -y becomes -ieth | twenty → twentieth, thirty → thirtieth |
Tricky ones: 11th, 12th and 13th always end in -th, even though 1, 2 and 3 end in -st, -nd and -rd. So it’s eleventh (11th), not 11st.
Writing Numbers: st, nd, rd, th
Look at the last word of the ordinal number:
- ends in first → st: 1st, 21st, 31st
- ends in second → nd: 2nd, 22nd
- ends in third → rd: 3rd, 23rd
- everything else → th: 4th, 15th, 28th, 30th
This is why twenty-third is 23rd in Question 7, not 23th.
Ordinal Numbers in Celebrations
Module 4 links ordinal numbers to dates and festivals. Practise sentences like these with your child:
- My birthday is on the twenty-third of May.
- Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the first lunar month.
- Our school sports day is on the fifteenth of March.
- Merdeka Day is on the thirty-first of August.
Ask your child to say the dates of their family members’ birthdays using ordinal numbers. It’s real practice that sticks better than a list.
Tips for Parents
- Race games: Line up toys and ask “Who came first? Who came fourth?” Children learn positions faster through play.
- Calendar practice: Point to dates on a calendar and ask your child to read them aloud: “the twelfth”, “the twentieth”.
- Spelling focus: Make flashcards for the five exceptions above: fifth, eighth, ninth, twelfth, twentieth. These cover most spelling mistakes.
给华小家长的说明
这份练习考的是英文序数词（ordinal numbers），也就是”第一、第二、第三”。华小学生最常犯的错误是拼写：
- five → fifth（不是 fiveth）
- twelve → twelfth（不是 twelveth）
- nine → ninth（不是 nineth）
- twenty → twentieth（不是 twentyth）
在家可以用日历练习，让孩子用英文读出家人的生日日期，例如 the twenty-third of May。
The complete Year 4 English PBD workbook is available at our Shopee store.
FAQ
What are ordinal numbers?
Ordinal numbers show position or order, such as first, second and third. Cardinal numbers (one, two, three) show quantity.
How do you spell 12th in words?
Twelfth. The -ve in twelve changes to -f before adding -th.
Is it 11th or 11st?
It’s 11th (eleventh). The numbers 11, 12 and 13 always end in -th.
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