Как говорится, есть мнения, которые ценны, а есть мнения, которые ...
...бесценны.))
Про числительные таки.
Любой человек с ушами слышит разные степени субстантивации в широком смысле - дрейфа числительного в сторону существительного в примерах:
- собственно числительное (субстантивация в зачаточном состоянии)
5.4.1. Numerals proper
Numerals proper — cardinals and ordinals are normally used in preposition to nouns and thus in a sentence function as attributes.
For example: I have two brothers and one sister. They lent me three thousand dollars. His first name is Peter. My second language is French.
In British grammar they are regarded as determiners while in American grammar — as adjectives. (See 4.1.}
Cardinals may occur as part of adverbial modifiers while ordinals — as part of predicate.
Compare: They live two hundred miles away, (adverbial modifier) Who is the first to answer the question? (predicative)
Cardinals may enter compound nouns such as a two-year absence, a three-week holiday, a three-month course, etc.
- числительные в абсолютном-независимом положении, без определяемого слова, сродни тому, как работают местоимения, заменяющие существительные (субстантивация налицо, но не полная)
5.4.2. Noun-substitutes
Cardinals can be often used on their own as noun-substitutes or pronouns, in a sentence being either subject or object.
For example: We invited a lot of people but only twelve came/only twelve of them came. (subject) She saw four of them laughing at her. (object)
Besides, as noun-substitutes cardinals can realize all other possible syntactic functions when they are used to show:
1) the process of calculation by numbers: Two by two is four. (Two by two is subject, four — predicative) Fifteen divided by three is five. (Fifteen is subject, three is attribute, five — predicative)
2) dates — He was born in 1749. (in the year of 1749, pronounced seventeen forty nine — adverbial modifier);
3) time — We left at 4.25p.m. (pronounced four twenty five — adverbial modifier);
4) age — He is thirty-seven. (37 years old — predicative);
5) temperature — The temperature rose to plus thirty. (=+30 degrees — adverbial modifier);
6) price — It cost six eighty-five. (=6 pounds 85 pence or 6 dollars 85 cents — predicative);
7) the score in a game — Becker won the first set six-three. (=by six games to three: 6—3 — adverbial modifier).
- числительные, завершившие свой переход в существительные, субстантивированные на все сто
5.4.3. Substantivized numerals
All the cardinal and ordinal numerals are easily substantivized and thus acquire some nounal characteristics.
When cardinals take the nounal form they are usually used in the plural:
Three twos make six. The teacher divided us into fours. You can buy cigarettes in tens or twenties. I have been there hundreds of times. There were thousands/millions of people there.
Yet sometimes, especially with reference to card games or sports such as cricket or rowing, substantivized numerals may occur in the singular form with either the indefinite or definite article.
For example: The Oxford eight is/are using a new lightweight boat. This shirt is a fourty-two. (=size 42) Will you make up a four for a game of cards? He hit a four. That' easily a six. (in cricket a hit worth four or six runs)
Substantivized ordinal numerals can be used both in singular and plural. The plural usually occurs as the denominator in fractions.
For example: Suddenly there was a cry, then a second, and a third. Water takes up three-fourths of our planet's surface.