Ordinal Numbers - Primary 1

Ordinal numbers are numbers that define the position of an object or person. We use words such as first, second, third, etc. to define the position. 

Ordinal numbers are different from cardinal numbers (or simply counting numbers). Ordinal numbers refer to the position in a series, while cardinal numbers refer to how many there are.

Let's look at the example below to illustrate the difference between ordinal and cardinal numbers.

In the picture below, there are 4 people in the queue at this shop. When we say that there are 4 people, we are referring to all 4 people. 

When we are using ordinal numbers, we are referring to a position in a series (e.g. a queue). For instance, in the diagram below, if we are referring to the 4th person in the queue, then we are referring to just one person -- the fourth person in the queue. Not the other three in the queue.