Collective numbers (examples). What is collective numeral

Collective numerals, examples of which are constantly found in everyday speech, are practically not used in business documents. And this concept itself is conditional. After all, in fact, the collective numeral is a kind of quantitative. But differences between these categories exist.

What do collective numbers mean?

Each part of speech plays a specific role in the sentence. However, collective and quantitative numerals mean almost the same thing. But in their use there is a significant difference. Collective numerals indicate the person, what determines their substantiation. For example: “Who are these three guys ? Surely many of these three young people recognized, because it was they who starred in the famous series! ” From the context it is clear that we are talking about guys in the amount of three people. Thus, the answer to the question of what is a collective numeral is the following: this is the part of speech that indicates the number of persons in a given meeting of people. But to use them in relation to animals is impossible.

Collective numbers

Examples of such phrases as “two workers”, “five babies” or “both boys” indicate not just the number or order of listing. First of all, these expressions reflect a group of certain persons. An interesting fact is that in modern Russian, the numeral (collective) name is a closed, non-producing, surviving group of words. This phrase should be understood as follows: the language is constantly being transformed and developing. However, this branch of it remains unchanged, retaining its traditional historical appearance.

Collective Numeral Groups

1. A special point is the numeral of both (both). It will be discussed separately.
2. According to the methods of education, the words "two" and "three" are distinguished. Their roots are the corresponding quantitative numerals two and three . They are formed with the participation of the suffix -oe .
3. The wider group consists of collective numerals of four, five, and so on, up to ten. They are formed by the suffix -er- and the ending -o.

Colloquial in the group of collective numbers

The use of such formations from larger numbers should be attributed to colloquiality, although it would be imprudent to dismiss their existence altogether. Sometimes you can even find such collective numerals even in fiction. Examples of such statements are in Lavrenev’s novel “Forty-first,” when the main character, a girl from the people, reads verses of her own composition. The line “Twenty-five into the steppe” is bright and picturesque - it shows that colloquially collective numerals are used not only those that are formed from the numbers of the first ten, but also from larger ones. They are produced in the same way, that is, using the suffix - ep - and the ending - .

Change in collective numbers by gender, numbers and cases

For communication in a sentence, words are changed. As well as quantitative, collective numerals do not have a number or kind. An exception in this sense is the word "both," since it can take the form of a feminine gender - "both." But here by case all collective numbers change. Examples:

1. Oh, this is a great miracle when two lovers give affection to each other, create a family, give birth and raise children! (Nominative case).
2. The love triangle bears such a name precisely because the relationship connects three loving people , not two. (Accusative).
3. Seven guys did not have to return to their parents - they blew up a mine in the first battle. (Dative).

The declension of the words "two" and "three"

Collective numerals with nouns - for example, "two boys" and "three guys" - vary in cases like the full soft adjectives in the plural. For instance:

Despite the fact that two boys (R. p.) Had only one toy, there were never quarrels between them. These two babies (D. p.) Were so comfortable with each other that a feeling of white envy for their friendship arose in the soul by itself. Seeing these two guys (V. p.), Selflessly playing the same toy, adults sometimes thought about how well we live in our adult world? The old women, with tenderness, admired the two babies (T. p.), Who practically did not part for a minute. And local gossips gossip about these two boys (P.P.), inventing implausible stories of their origin.

The declension of the words "four", "five" and so on

All other quantitative-collective numerals must be changed according to cases according to the principle of full adjectives in the plural. Only this process is carried out according to the solid version. It should also be remembered that the stress in these collective numbers standing in indirect cases always falls on the ending. Let us decline the expression “four singers”:

I. p. - four singers.

R. p. - four singers.

D. p. - to four singers.

V. p. - four singers.

T. p. - four singers.

P. p. - four singers.

Collective numeral both (both)

This word is especially emphasized, since in meaning it means not only two people, but also a pair of inanimate objects. The rest of the collective numerals can designate a group of only people, that is, people, or inanimate beings that have a human appearance, for example, the dead. You should also know what a collective numeral such as “both” can be combined with feminine nouns in the form of “both”. These words are inclined in the same way as the collective numerals “two”, “three”, that is, like the full plural adjectives in the soft version: both, both (I. p.), Both, both (R. p.), Both , both (D.P.), both, both (V.P.), both, both (T.P.), both, both (P.P.).

Speech errors associated with the use of the word “both”

1. Most often, in a conversation there is a substitution of the word “both” with the noun “wallpaper”. Here, the similarity of the letters included in them plays a cruel joke. As an example, consider a message from a grandmother that both grandchildren returned home: "Wallpaper at home, go soon!". This appeal by her daughter may well be interpreted as the fact that someone bought the trellis for repairs and put them in the room.
2. Often people use the form “both” in indirect cases in combination with nouns denoting persons or objects of the feminine, instead of the collective numeral “both”. For example, the statement would be incorrect: "She had bracelets on both hands, and all fingers were ringed with rings and rings." Instead, you should say and write like this: “Her bracelets were on both hands, and all fingers were ringed with rings and rings.”

Use

Collective numerals are used less frequently than quantitative ones. This happens because they can be combined with a narrower circle of nouns.

1. The words “two”, “three”, “four” and so on are used for inanimate nouns that exist only in the plural, for example: two scissors, three forceps, four days . “Having become a qualified hairdresser and specialist, Tatyana could no longer use her old home tools, she had to urgently purchase two high-quality professional scissors.”
2. Used collective numerals in combinations where the defining nouns are males, for example: five friends, two men. "Two men, dressed in identical long dark cloaks and wrapped in scarves to their very noses, walked past in a hurried step, looking around every minute."
3. It is allowed to use collective numerals in relation to a group of persons that includes people of both male and female gender. For example: "She had two children: a girl and a boy."
   
4. Sometimes, collective numerals are used with personal pronouns in the plural: “ There were five of us in the room when it suddenly became completely dark, the floor trembled underfoot and began to swing like a deck of a ship, and books and souvenirs on the shelves fell down with a noise ". “ There were only four of them . But with them , with all four , our company could already cope quite easily. ” “ You two were sorely missed! Rather, rather to the table! ”
5. The use of collective numbers is stylistically limited. It is inappropriate to use data such as combinations in official speech - it is recommended here instead of “four workers” or “six engineers” to write and say “four workers”, “six engineers”.

Mistakes in the use of collective numbers

1. Most often, there is such a nuance of the incorrect use of this group of words as combining them with nouns denoting females, for example: “four wanderers”, “five nuns”, “three students” . Instead, use quantitative numbers, such as: “four wanderers,” “five nuns,” “three students . ”
2. It is absolutely unacceptable to use collective numerals with inanimate nouns that have a single number, for example: “two tools”, “three tables” . Here it is required, as in the subparagraph above, to use the combinations “two tools”, “three tables” .
3. Collective numerals cannot be combined with animate nouns that mean not animals, but animals, for example: “three bears” instead of “three bears” , “four bulls” instead of “four bulls ”.

Variant forms of using nouns with quantitative and collective numerals

The Russian language differs from all others in that there are always options that can replace one expression with another equivalent. Often possible the use of phrases as nouns with collective numerals, and with quantitative. Such replacements are possible in the following cases.

1. In a conversation about males, the following variations are allowed: “four lard” and “four lard” , “two detectives” and “two detectives” .
2. In phrases of nouns denoting single objects, but not used in the singular, and collective numerals (except for “two”, “three” and “four”) quantitative can also be used. For example: “five gates” - “five gates”, “seven forks” - “seven forks” .

But in conclusion, it should be repeated: collective numerals are more appropriate in vernacular, in colloquial speech. If the author aims to write a text in a beautiful literary language, such phrases should be avoided. But in an artwork (during the design of dialogs), they will help add color to the images of heroes, convey the spirit of the era. It is strictly forbidden to use collective numerals in documents and official speech.