IELTS Grammar: number, amount, proportion, figure

Somebody asked me about the difference between these 4 words (for IELTS writing task 1). I'll try to explain some basic ways to use them.

number
- Use "the number of + plural noun" e.g. the number of visitors.
- Don't use it to describe percentages or uncountable nouns e.g. money.

amount
- Use "the amount of + uncountable noun" e.g. the amount of money.
- Don't use it with countable nouns e.g. the amount of person/people.

proportion
- Only use this to describe percentages (not numbers).
- Use "the proportion of + plural noun" e.g. the proportion of people.

figure
- Use "the figure for + plural noun" e.g. the figure for visitors to the UK.
- Use it with uncountable nouns e.g. the figure for unemployment.
- Use it with countries e.g. the figure for Canada.
- Use it with percentages e.g. the figure (for...) rose to 10%.

Note:
If you've read any of my task 1 essays, you'll see that I like "the figure for" because it can be used in almost any situation.

Comments

[jaydow]

I like "the figure for".

[rajeesh]

hi simon,
question:
many researches suggest that overeating some foods can cause health problems like cigerattes use. its advertisements should be banned as for cigerattes in some nations?

to what extend do you agree or disagree

for this question,i disagreed

also i included these points in my body paragraph like diabetes is not as fatal as lung carcinoma and comparison between junk foods and cigerattes is unfair,in between other disagreeing ones.

will these mentioned points backfire ?

worried....

[Patty]

Hi Simon,

Can we use word "the figures for"?

[rajeesh]

hi simon,

sorry,it was obesity in place of diabetes...

[Quynh]

Dear Simon,
It means that we can use only "the proportion of" and "the figure for" to describe pie charts or bar charts in which the data are measured in percentages, doesn't it? Can we use "the amount of" to describe percentages?
Thank u so much

[Simon]

Hi Rajeesh,

Your ideas seem fine to me.

...

Hi Patty,

Yes, use "figures" to talk about more than one.

...

Hi Quynh,

Yes, just use "the proportion/percentage of" and "the figure for" to describe percentages. Don't use 'amount'.

[rajeesh]

hi simon,

thank u very much..

this site really helps.;

[Mehran]

hi simon

can we replace those words with quantity?

[Simon]

Hi Mehran,

I don't usually use 'quantity' for task 1 essays. However, it can often replace 'number' or 'amount'.

[TheIELTSSolution]

Hi,

Thanks for posting this one, it helps me a lot! Keep your posts coming, I'd really love to read you sample essays and set my samples to it. TheIELTSSolution.com

Thank you.

[Dung]

Hi Simon,
what about the usage of "Rate"???

[Simon]

Hi Dung,

RATE = a measure, quantity, or frequency, typically one measured against some other quantity or measure e.g. the crime rate rose by 26 percent.

My advice is to use 'rate' only for a few specific things e.g. crime rate, unemployment rate, divorce rate.

Try Googling it to find some more specific uses.

[Dung]

okje, I got it, thanks so much!!!

[Pond]

Simon,

Do I use "its" properly in this sentence?

Between 1982 and 1997 saw a rapid growth in the number of Indonesian students in Australia before "its" peak of roughly 25,000 in 1998.

"Its" is intended to refer to the number of Indonesian students in Australia.