Page 59 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

The time, with the definite article the, is used to refer to events that have
happened, but without being specific about when.

■ Do you remember the time we swam across the river?

■ Then there was the time you wore pajamas to school.

One time is often used to introduce a story about something specific that

happened, without being specific about when.

■ One time at band camp we put a frog in the director’s bed.

■ One time I did my hair like my mother did hers when she was a girl.

Once upon a time is a formal way of introducing a story, especially a fairy
tale or folk tale.

■ Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in an enchanted
palace in a mighty city.

4.9 Numbers

There are two main types of numbers in English: cardinal and ordinal.
Cardinal numbers are used most of the time, whether you’re speaking or

writing. They are the counting numbers. They express both positive and negative
values.

■ We’ll need about 30 boxes to pack up all the books.
■ Fifty years ago, we found this amulet in a mountain cave.

■ The wind chill makes it feel like minus 20 degrees outside.

Ordinal numbers usually show the order or sequence of things, such as

rankings or dates. They differ in their usage and their word endings.

■ I was used to the odd hours by the second month of working the late
shift.