millions or million?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hey guys…
I just didn’t get my teacher’s explanation about “Millions and million”. He said that when talking about money “YOU MUST SAY two or three Million of dollars” and regarding people YOU MUST SAY “Millions of people”. However, I’ve seen some ads that show phrases like "you will win millions if you do this or that"…and that’s MONEY, isn’t? So, whom should I believe to? I hope a fine clarification on it.

Thanks in advance…

2

Hi Serzige,

Your teacher’s explanation is right. If there is a number before ‘million’ it’s just the singular. In your ad there is no number so that’s why it’s ‘millions’.

Let me know if this makes sense to you.

Thanks,
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: Potential byer leaves voice message expressing his interest in purchasing a used car advertised online[YSaerTTEW443543]

3

so, if I say two MILLIONS DOLLARS, that’s wrong, not only that but TWO MILLIONS PEOPLE is right, isnt’? That’s what I get from your argument so that I am right, aren’t I?

4

If there is a number before the word ‘million’ it’s used in the singular form. In the phrase ‘two million people’ there is the number ‘two’ before ‘million’ so you need the singular here.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: Young woman leaves voice mail asking her friend to call back[YSaerTTEW443543]

5

On a separate note, which is correct?

There is 2 million dollars on the table
There are 2 million dollars on the table

Thanks

6

Well, none of both sentences is entirely correct because they don’t end with a full stop :-).
Joke aside, both are correct. The first one refers to an amount of money while the second says how many individual dollars are on the table. Obviously, the first one would be used much more frequently.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: A weather forecast predicts rainy and stormy conditions[YSaerTTEW443543]

7

Hi

Thank you! another question though.

What situation will make sense to say “there are 2 million dollars on the table”
I want to know when you can say money in the plural form

another example,

there is 60 points scored tonight vs there are 60 points scored tonight

8

Hi,

‘There are 60 million dollars’ means just that. Physically/literally/factually lying on the table are dollar notes in presumably different denominations and if you added them all up, the total would be 60 million.

As for your second point, I would phrase the comment as: 60 points have/has been scored tonight.

Alan

9

so “is” or “are” is used for emphasis

If there is a one hundred dollar bill on the table i can never say “there are $100 on the table” because there is only 1 denomination

If there are many bills making up $100, i might say “there are $100 on the table” to emphasize you might need to recount them or something like that…is this right?

10

Hi ched133,

I think you have received enough from us now to be able to work this out.

Alan

11

Hey Alan and Torsten…
I’ve just realized that in the first post I wrote “Two Million OF people” and in the second I’ve written “Two Million People”. Which one is right?

12

There are twenty-two million people in this country.
Two million of them speak Farsi as their first language.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: Sports coach is giving his team pep talk during half-time of a match[YSaerTTEW443543]

13

Hi.
Is the same thing also true for any entities ? Like 4 hours / hour , 5 year / years ??

Thanks

14

Yes. Look at these examples:

  • a four hour seminar
  • a five year contract
  • a three minute conversation[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, photographs: A parachute[YSaerTTEW443543]

15

No, this is a unique quality of numerals. You can say “I have two hundred/ thousand/ million/ billion friends,” but “I waited for two hours/ years.”