Pie Chart Vocabularies
These are some phrases to denote fractions:
|
A large number of people |
55% – more than half |
| Over a quarter of people | 50% – half |
| A small minority | 45% – more than two fifths |
| A significant number of people | 40% – two-fifths |
| Less than a fifth | 35% – more than a third |
| Percentage fractions | 30% – less than a third |
| 80% – four-fifths | 25% – a quarter |
| 75% – three-quarters | 20% – a fifth |
| 70% – seven in ten | 15% – less than a fifth |
| 65% – two-thirds | 10% – one in ten |
| 60% – three-fifths | 5% – one in twenty |
If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers such as:
| · 77% – just over three quarters | · Percentage proportion / number / amount / majority / number / minority |
| · 77% – approximately three quarters | · 75% – 85% – a very large majority |
| · 49% – just under the half | · 65% – 75% – a significant proportion |
| · 49% – nearly a half | · 10% – 15% – a minority / small fraction |
| · 32% – almost a third | · 5% – a very small number |
The words above are interchangeable, though number is for countable nouns and amount is for uncountable nouns.
Here are three useful techniques for describing percentages:
- English speakers usually put the percentage at the start of the sentence.
- Use while, whereas or compared to (after a comma) to add a comparison.
- Use “the figure for” to add another comparison in the next sentence.
The pie chart above depicts energy generation by fuel type in France in the year 2005.
Lexical Resources
- Accounted for, constitute, comprise, made up
- Per cent, percentage, %
- Considering, regarding, in terms of
- Respectively, collectively
- Fraction, segment, portion, part
- Large, significant, major
- Small, negligible
Example of Sentences
- Energy produced by gas accounted for 26% of total energy in the France
- In 2005, coal and nuclear power comprised 58 percentage of energy production in the France, collectively.
- In 2005, coal and nuclear power constituted 26% and 32% of energy respectively.