IELTS Writing: Numbers, Data, Prepositions

​Hearing the Difference:

​_

Comparing Structures

• more/less + adjective/adverb + than

• more/ fewer/less + noun/noun phrase + than

• not as + adjective/adverb + as

• not as + much/many + noun/noun phrase + as

Superlative Structures

• the most / the least + adjective/adverb

• by far + the ...

Common Errors
amount and number:

• amount is used with uncountable nouns

• number is used with countable nouns
  The chart shows the amount of traffic in the city. NOT: number of traffic

Describing quantity

• countable things: a number of, a majority of, a minority of, a handful of

• uncountable things: an amount of, a quantity of, a good deal of,

• both uncountable and countable nouns: a proportion of, a percentage of, a fraction of 

a few = some, a small number

few = not many/almost none

a little = some, a small amount

little = not much/almost nothing

• quite a few,

• relatively / considerably few

% = percent / per cent

• 10% = ten percent, one tenth, one in (every) ten / one out of ten (countable nouns),

• 25% = twenty-five percent, a quarter, one in (every) four / one out of four (countable nouns)

• 50% = fifty percent, a half, five in (every) ten / five out of ten (countable nouns)

• 75% = seventy-five percent, three quaters, three in (every) four / three out of five (countable nouns)

What if I don't have a round number?

almost a half

slightly more/less than a half

close to a quater

approximately three quarters

nearly a half

Quantity - use the following expressions with:

adjectives and adverbs:
nearly, almost three times as expensive as, half as expensive as

nouns: half/twice/three times the size of

There are also verbs:

• double, the percentage doubled

• halve, the amount halved towards the end of the period

• triple, the number of divorces in the country tripled over the period

Don't forget

• after, then, subsequently, following that

• the highest, the lowest, the second highest

• compared to/with

• respectively, proportionately

Multiple Choice

The vast ____________ of people at the open day were newcomers.

• majority

• minority

• extent

Multiple Choice

A _______________ proportion of the respondents in survey were retired people.

• handful

• deal

• proportion

Multiple Choice

Only a small _______________ of people took creative studies beyond secondary school.

• share

• handful

• amount

Multiple Choice

The percentage of people who can read music is tiny ______ of the whole population.

• fraction

• branch

• element

Multiple Choice

The number of people who follow a creative career is almost __________

• unimportant

• tiny

• negligible

Multiple Choice

A _____________ minority of people said creativity had no place in education.

• little

• small

• trivial

Multiple Choice

There were ________________ few takers for the knitting course.

• relatively

• significantly

• barely

Multiple Choice

______________ anyone considers themselves to be completely lacking in creative talent.

• Virtually

• Almost

• Hardly

Multiple Choice

It is important to control the ____________ of sunshine children are exposed to.

• quantity

• amount

Multiple Choice

To discourage driving, certain _____________ of the public transport system should be improved.

• aspects

• qualities

Multiple Choice

The _____________ of smokers to non-smokers greater is some parts of the world than in others.

• rate

• proportion

Multiple Choice

The _____________ of workers doing shifts is very high.

• quantity

• number

Multiple Choice

The water _____________ were highest at midnight.

• levels

• percentages

Multiple Choice

This solution will reduce the unemployment _______

• number

• rate

Ready for IELTS p. 39, ex. 2

​

Ready for IELTS p. 39, ex. 8

• The football match was attended by three times as many spectators as the rugby match.

• The sports department was visited by only 20% of the shoppers in 2009 when compared to February 2008.

• More than four out of every ten competitors were from the main city.

• The bulk of players were from overseas rather than home-grown

• A quarter of the members of the sports club paid by cash rather than by credit card.

• The team lost just under half of the games they played last season.

Prepositions

at / of / in / from / to

Prepositions / prepositional sentences - nouns

increase / descrease (nouns) + in / of

There was an increase in the number of people attending classes.

There was a decrease of 10% in the number of people joining classes remotely.

alternatively:

There was a 70% decrease in the number of people joining classes remotely.

Prepositions / prepositional sentences - verbs

increase / descrease (verbs) + from / to, by

The number of people attending classes rose from 50% to 60% in 2020.

The number of people attending classes rose by 10% in 2020.

start / begin / end up / finish / remain / be etc. + at (just over/around/about/approximately) + number

The amount of garbage collected remained at 6%.

Prepositions / prepositional sentences - verbs

reach + no preposition

The number of people attending classes reached 60% in 2020.

start / begin / end up / finish / remain / be etc. + at (just over/around/about/approximately) + number

The amount of garbage collected remained at 6%.

Multiple Choice

Three out of _____________ five wished they had had a more supportive teacher.

• each

• every

• all

Multiple Choice

About one __________ four people responded negatively.

• from

• in

• of

IELTS Writing - Meeting 4

Numbers & data

Comparing structures

• more/less + adjective/adverb + than

• more/ fewer/less + noun/noun phrase + than

• not as + adjective/adverb + as

• not as + much/many + noun/noun phrase + as

Superlative structures

• the most / the least + adjective/adverb

• by far + the ...

Describing quantity

• countable things: a number of, a majority of, a minority of, a handful of

• uncountable things: an amount of, a quantity of, a good deal of,

• both uncountable and countable nouns: a proportion of, a percentage of, a fraction of 

a few = some, a small number

few = not many/almost none

a little = some, a small amount

little = not much/almost nothing

• quite a few,

• relatively / considerably few

% = percent / per cent

• 10% = ten percent, one tenth, one in (every) ten / one out of ten (countable nouns),

• 25% = twenty-five percent, a quarter, one in (every) four / one out of four (countable nouns)

• 50% = fifty percent, a half, five in (every) ten / five out of ten (countable nouns)

• 75% = seventy-five percent, three quaters, three in (every) four / three out of five (countable nouns)

What if I don't have a round number?

almost a half

slightly more/less than a half

close to a quater

approximately three quarters

nearly a half

Quantity - use the following expressions with:

- adjectives and adverbs: (nearly, almost) three times as expensive as, half as expensive as

- nouns: half/twice/three times the size of ...

There are also verbs:

• double, the percentage doubled

• halve, the amount halved towards the end of the period

• triple, the number of divorces in the country tripled over the period

Don't forget

• after, then, subsequently, following that

• the highest, the lowest, the second highest

• compared to/with

• respectively, proportionately

Multiple Choice

The vast ____________ of people at the open day were newcomers.

• majority

• minority

• extent

Multiple Choice

A _______________ proportion of the respondents in survey were retired people.

• handful

• deal

• proportion

Multiple Choice

Only a small _______________ of people took creative studies beyond secondary school.

• share

• handful

• amount

Multiple Choice

The percentage of people who can read music is tiny ______ of the whole population.

• fraction

• branch

• element

Multiple Choice

The number of people who follow a creative career is almost __________

• unimportant

• tiny

• negligible

Multiple Choice

A _____________ minority of people said creativity had no place in education.

• little

• small

• trivial

Multiple Choice

There were ________________ few takers for the knitting course.

• relatively

• significantly

• barely

Multiple Choice

______________ anyone considers themselves to be completely lacking in creative talent.

• Virtually

• Almost

• Hardly

Multiple Choice

It is important to control the ____________ of sunshine children are exposed to.

• quantity

• amount

Multiple Choice

To discourage driving, certain _____________ of the public transport system should be improved.

• aspects

• qualities

Multiple Choice

The _____________ of smokers to non-smokers greater is some parts of the world than in others.

• rate

• proportion

Multiple Choice

The _____________ of workers doing shifts is very high.

• quantity

• number

Multiple Choice

The water _____________ were highest at midnight.

• levels

• percentages

Multiple Choice

This solution will reduce the unemployment _______

• number

• rate

Ready for IELTS p. 39, ex. 2

​

Ready for IELTS p. 39, ex. 8

• The football match was attended by three times as many spectators as the rugby match.

• The sports department was visited by only 20% of the shoppers in 2009 when compared to February 2008.

• More than four out of every ten competitors were from the main city.

• The bulk of players were from overseas rather than home-grown

• A quarter of the members of the sports club paid by cash rather than by credit card.

• The team lost just under half of the games they played last season.

Prepositions

at / of / in / from / to

Prepositions / prepositional sentences - nouns

increase / descrease (nouns) + in / of

There was an increase in the number of people attending classes.

There was a decrease of 10% in the number of people joining classes remotely.

alternatively:

There was a 70% decrease in the number of people joining classes remotely.

Prepositions / prepositional sentences - verbs

increase / descrease (verbs) + from / to, by

The number of people attending classes rose from 50% to 60% in 2020.

The number of people attending classes rose by 10% in 2020.

start / begin / end up / finish / remain / be etc. + at (just over/around/about/approximately) + number

The amount of garbage collected remained at 6%.

Prepositions / prepositional sentences - verbs

reach + no preposition

The number of people attending classes reached 60% in 2020.

start / begin / end up / finish / remain / be etc. + at (just over/around/about/approximately) + number

The amount of garbage collected remained at 6%.

Multiple Choice

Three out of _____________ five wished they had had a more supportive teacher.

• each

• every

• all

Multiple Choice

About one __________ four people responded negatively.

• from

• in

• of