Is it possible for the indefinite article (a/an) to precede an ordinal number?

[Bangkeaw]

Hi Everyone!

I'm Bangkeaw from BKK, Thailand. Nice to meet all of you (though on-line) (: Well.... I just subscribed to this forum a couple of days ago after I stumbled across this wonderful ESL website by mistake. It's a real priviledge for me to have an opportunity to participate in this forum and thank everyone who help contribute to it. (:

As of my first post, I'd like to ask if it's possible to use a/an before an ordinal number? I've underlined the part in question in the newspaper extract below:

Madonna arrived in Malawi on Monday with the young local boy she is adopting, amid rumours she intended to adopt a second child from an orphanage in the impoverished southern African nation.

Thank you very much for your time (:

Peace be with all of you...

[Yankee]

Welcome to English-test.net, bangkeaw!

Yes, a/an can be used with an ordinal number. In your sentence, the use of the indefinite article and the ordinal number together is similar to saying 'another'.
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"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~ Abraham Lincoln

[Bangkeaw]

Thanks a lot, Amy! Your answer's really helped cleared things up for me. :D

[Kati Svaby]

Hello Amy,

Can you help me ? I always become very curious when I met a grammatical problem. I make sure that the grammar is similare to the maths. There are rules for everything.

(Excuse me that I couldn't copy here those examples that I had written to the thread: Its title:
"In or on second place? " On this thread I met in the first in my life an ordiary number without or with an indefinite article. I asked one of our teacher when we have to use them in this way. Dozy answered : "there isn't rule". - this was the antecedents)

Next day I looked it for on the Google. I found a long article(on EnglishUsing) but as my laptop under repair, I couldn't copy the essential part with my iPad - I was forced to copy a long speech about the ordinate numbers -what almost in the end it spoke about my question. In 5 points it spoke about if an ordinate number is an adjective or an adverb the rule is othher. I am sorry that I can't copy here this part, but with my iPad I couldn't finish this letter by morning.

Of course Dozy's answer was that my copy is about the ordinal number. So he didn't read my letter till the end.

I rolled up my sleeves and I could write it again. In my second letter I used the Oxford dictionary also which gives examples about what happens if an ordiinal number becomes an adjective or an adverb.

Adjective:
She won first prize on the competition.
.. on first aquaintence
There is a first time for everything.
They have a second (=another)home in London

Adverb:
First I had to decide what to answer.
When did you first him?
This is a good method: first it is cheaper and second it is quicker.

In idioms:
At first I thought he is a gentleman.
In any decision my family comes first.
He does a little teaching, but first and foremost he's a writter.
I regarded myself, first and last, as a mother.

I wrote these sentences and others also, I don't remember.

Dozy answered me that my letters are incomprehensible for him. Or it's all Greek to him.
He could set my nerve to edge so much that...

This is the third occasion that he debated about grammatical problem with me. He always hits back that " you can't express yourself so I didn't understand what you want to say."

Our previous debate I sent to JenniferESL , an American online teacher,and she answered me and she explained that I was right. This was "it's vanished' from the context I felt it is a present time, so passive voice ; and he said this is present perfect. When I received Jennifer's letter I didn't speake about it to anybody. But now I mentioned it.

I used to be a teacher me also, I never will understand what it is good to humiliate a student.
I tried to close watch my letter, I am sure I made mistakes but I hope you understand what I wanted to write to you.

I would be curious of your opinion. Many thanks in advance.

Best regards:
Kati svaby

[Dozy]

[Beeesneees]

Hello Kati and Dozy,

Please see my message here:
in or on the second place?

Kati,
Dozy has done his best to give you correct information. I know that you hold ESLJennifer in very high regard, but it is possible that she did not understand the exact context of the use of 'it's disappeared'. It can mean both 'it has' and 'it is'. Dozy only tried to explain which one was most likely. As nobody knows the magician, we cannot say for certain which he meant... only the magician himself knows that.

Dozy is a very knowledgeable person and you are an incredibly gifted lady. Please stop arguing, because you are both upsetting each other and I have no wish to see either of you upset.
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Cheers m' dears!

[Kati Svaby]

Dear Bez,

You are very kind that you try to make me believe what happenned it didn't happen I don't speak about that it's vanished is a present time ( passive) or a past time ( present perfect ). Really I don't remember the context, i don't find this thread.

I don't remember and I don't know how many times (but many times) our debate came to an end, that I had to support that I was a person who couldn't express oneself. Now I am tactful with him when I quote his words. Today I received a threat he will refer my questions to the moderators for mediations if this dispute goes any further.

One thing is sure I never wanted to dispute only to ask what I didn't understand. I admit that this lost my interest in my favourite pastime ,learning English. I need a little time to find myself.

Dear Bez, now I can't say any more.

Many thanks.

Kati

[Dozy]

Thank you for your kind intervention Beeesneees. I apologise if, in the heat of the moment, some of my language above was intemperate. Hopefully we can put this behind us and move on.

[Beeesneees]