Writing big numbersWriting big numbers

We come across large numbers in our everyday life so it is important to be able to read them. To help with numbers that have more than five figures, which might be difficult to read, we use place value.

Place value is the idea that a figure has a different value when used in different places.

Below is a place value table with the numbers 7 853 and 5 387.Note: Each column can only contain one figure from 0 to 9.

In the number 7 853 (seven thousand eight hundred and fifty three) the 7 has the value 7 thousand. This number is 7 000 + 800 + 50 + 3.In the number 5 387 (five thousand three hundred and eighty seven) the 7 has the value 7 units. This number is 5 000 + 300 + 80 + 7.

In these two numbers the 7 stands for different values when it is in different places.

Writing numbers up to a million

Using the place value table can help you to write large numbers.Look at the following numbers:

Numbers in figures Numbers in words

10 Ten

100 Hundred

1 000 Thousand

10 000 Ten thousand

100 000 Hundred thousand

1 000 000 Million

You will notice that the numbers are grouped in three figures. There is a space between each group of three figures (counting from right to left). You will sometimes see a comma used to separate the three figures. (If there is no comma in a large number and you have problem saying it, try putting in the comma.)

This grouping can help you to say the number 405 000.The first group of three figures is four hundred and five and the last three figures show thousands (since there are three zeros in a thousand).The number is four hundred and five thousand.

This example shows how important zero is. In 405 000 the zero between the 4 and 5 keeps the place for the missing tens of thousands. Without the zero, the number is forty five thousand (45 000).

Writing numbers in words in figures

There are times when you may need to write down a large number in figures that someone has told you in words. Newspaper stories often have large numbers written in figures that may be difficult to make sense of unless you can say them in words.

Examples

1. Write five thousand, three hundred and six in figures.Put the 5 in the thousands column and the 3 in the hundreds column. The 6 should go in the units column so make sure you fill the tens column with a 0 to show no tens.

Th H T U

5 3 0 6

The number is 5 306.

2. Write twenty six thousand, seven hundred and fifty in figures.For this number we would start with the tens of thousands column. Any number larger than 9 999 would have 5 figures. Start with the 2 in the tens of thousands column and continue by putting the 6 in the thousands column, the 7 in the hundreds column and the 5 in the tens column. The units column must have a 0 to show no units.

TTh Th H T U

2 6 7 5 0

The number is 26 750.

3. Write 58 432 in words.

TTh Th H T U

5 8 4 3 2

Again by writing in the letters TTh, Th, H, T and U above the number can help with writing it in words. Grouping the numbers in threes from right to left will let you know that the number must be fifty eight thousand and something. The last three figures can be read on their own as four hundred and thirty two. The number is fifty eight thousand, four hundred and thirty two.

4. Write 1 200 in words.

Th H T U

1 2 0 0

Start by writing the letters Th, H, T and U above the number you have been given. You can then see that the 1 is in the thousands column and the 2 is in the hundreds column. The number is one thousand, two hundred.Note: Another way of writing this number would be twelve hundred. Although this is not incorrect if you think writing numbers such as these as twelve hundred might confuse you, stick to writing them in terms of thousands.

Ordering large numbers

When you have a series of large numbers, which are not in number order, it is sometimes difficult to make sense of them.Here is a table showing the daily profits of a supermarket written in order of days.

If these numbers were put into a place value table, it would be easier to arrange them in order.

Look at each column in turn. The figures for Friday and Saturday will be the largest as these have figures in the tens of thousands column. Looking at the thousands column shows that since there is a 4 in the thousand column for Saturday and a 0 in the thousands column for Friday that Saturday has the largest number. Carry on for each of the other numbers.

Writing figures in words

0 zero          10 ten          20 twenty  

1 one          11 eleven          30 thirty 

2 two          12 twelve          40 forty  

3 three          13 thirteen          50 fifty 

4 four          14 fourteen          60 sixty 

5 five          15 fifteen          70 seventy 

6 six          16 sixteen          80 eighty  

7 seven          17 seventeen          90 ninety 

8 eight          18 eighteen          100 hundred 

9 nine          19 nineteen          1 000 thousand  

                        1 000 000 million

Big numbers glossary

Here are some of the words you may come across to do with big numbers.

Place value A figure has a different value when used in different places. For example, in these three numbers, the 4 stands for a different value:45      The number 4 has a value of 40 (4 tens)405    The number 4 has a value of 400 (4 hundreds)54      The number 4 has a value of 4 (4 units)

Digit A figure or a number. 45 is a two-digit number whereas 405 is a three-digit number.

Billion When we talk about a billion we mean a thousand million or 1 000 000 000. If you see a billion in a news story it is referring to a thousand million.Such big numbers can be difficult to imagine.

Numerical order The order that you would write numbers if you were counting from the lowest up. 405, 406 and 407 are in numerical order.

Unit The word unit means one. It is the smallest number and is always on the right-hand side of a whole number:5      This number has 5 units72    This number has 2 units591  This number has 1 unit

'Writing big numbers' tutor notes

The aim of the module is to revise large numbers, writing numbers as words and a reminder of place value.

Please let us know what you think of the worksheets, factsheets, activity and game at skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk

How does this tie in with the new curriculums?

England N1/L1.1 - Read, write, order and compare numbers, including large numbers.

Wales As England.

Northern Ireland As England.

Scotland See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.

In the Skillswise module you'll find:

Writing big numbers factsheets There are six factsheets in this section which can be printed out and kept.

Factsheet 1 - Writing big numbers. Factsheet 2 - Writing numbers up to a million. Factsheet 3 - Writing numbers in words in figures. Factsheet 4 - Ordering large numbers. Factsheet 5 - Writing figures in words. Factsheet 6 - Big numbers glossary.

Writing big numbers games

Game 1 - Greater than, less than.In this game learners practise recognising place value in big numbers and numbers written in words. They are given a pair of numbers and have to select whether the first number is less than, greater than or equal to the other. The game is split into three levels. Level A is numbers up to 100, level B up to 1 000 and level C up to 1 000 000. Watch the 'How to play' to find out how the game works. At the end of each level students can print off a gamesheet which will show their marked answers.

Game 2 - Ordering big numbers.In this game learners practise recognising place value in big numbers. They are given a set of numbers and have to put them in ascending or descending order. The game is split into three levels. Level A has four number to sort up to the value of 1 000, level B six numbers up to the value of 100 000 and level C eight numbers up to the value of 1 000 000. Watch the 'How to play' to find out how the game works. At the end of each level students can print off a gamesheet which will show their marked answers.

Please do tell us what you think of these games.

Writing big numbers activity In this activity learners practise big numbers by 'writing cheques'. They are given a number in figures and from four options have to select the correct answer in words. There are five questions with feedback at the end of each question. They can print off the correct answers at the end of the activity.This is a new style of activity for Skillswise, a quiz with feedback after each question. Please let us know what you think of this activity, could it work for other modules? Send us your thoughts at skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk

Writing big numbers worksheets There are six worksheets in this section.

Worksheet 1 - Understanding the value of digits - 1. Worksheet 2 - Understanding the value of digits - 2. Worksheet 3 - Using place value to change numbers in words to figures. Worksheet 4 - Writing numbers in words. Worksheet 5 - DVD rentals - using place value to order numbers and writing big

numbers in figures and words. Worksheet 6 - Buying a car - using place value to order numbers and writing big

numbers in figures and words.

Technical help:

To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':

Flash The game in this topic section uses Flash. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.Find out more.

If you don't have Flash the same learning points are covered in the quiz and in the worksheets and factsheets.If you are new to the web, why not try the BBC WebWise online course, Becoming WebWise? It's free, you can do it in your own time from any computer and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching.Get WebWise.

You can find out more about the technical requirements for Skillswise in our Help - Technical Information section.

Taking it further:

With Skillswise When covering this topic your students might like to try some In the news quizzes on writing big numbers:

Story from April 2003 about Northern Ireland syndicate in Grand National windfall. Questions on money and big numbers.

Story from March 2003 about Thousands marching against military action. Questions on dividing and multiplying large numbers by 10 and 100.

Story from March 2003 about Comic Relief raising record total of money. Questions on writing big numbers.

Find more In the news archive stories.Read this week's current In the news.

Don't forget to visit Lesson plans and Teaching inspirations for more ideas for teaching writing big numbers.

With the web Here are some suggestions of other places on the web you might find useful for teaching writing big numbers:

Adult Basic Skills Resource Centre Free resources created by basic skills tutors. There are three online quizzes: Numbers in words, Population sort and Greater than or less than.

Writing cheques Practise matching words to figures in the Writing cheques worksheet and writing cheques in the Market stall worksheet.