For figures that are measured in percentages, there might be more than one way to describe them. Instead of quoting the data explicitly, you are advised to spice up your description by expressing the proportions in numerical terms. Here’s how.
| 5% | An insignificant proportion (of) |
| 10% | Ten percent (of) / One-tenth (of) / One out of ten / One in ten / A low percentage (of) / A small minority (of) / Few (of) / Hardly any (of) |
| 15% | A humble minority (of) |
| 20% | One-fifth (of) |
| 25% | Exactly a quarter (of) / one-fourth (of) / one in four/ one out of four |
| 30% | Just under a third (of) |
| 35% | Just over a third (of) |
| 48% | Almost a half (of) |
| 66% | Precisely two-thirds (of) |
| 73% | Approximately/ Nearly three-quarters (of) |
| 90% | Ninety percent (of) / Nine-tenths (of) / Nine out of ten / Nine in ten / A high percentage (of) / The vast majority (of) / Most (of) / Almost all (of) |
Note:
- You can use adverbs to give a bit more color to your writing. For instance:
- About = around = almost = approximately = nearly = roughly
- Exactly = precisely
- Just under/ below >< just above/ over
- There are (phrasal) verbs you can use to quote the percentages, including but not limited to:
- Account for …%
- Make up …%
- Constitute …%
- Represent …%
- Comprise …%
Alright, let’s call it a day!
Very useful indeed!