In IELTS Writing Task 1, accurately describing percentages is essential. However, to achieve a high band score, it is important to vary your language when discussing percentages. Repeating the same words such as “percent” or “percentage” can make your writing monotonous. Instead, use fractions, proportions, or approximations to add diversity to your vocabulary. This will help improve your lexical resource score.
Here are some detailed strategies and examples for expressing percentages:
- Using Fractions to Describe Percentages:
Fractions are an excellent way to vary your language, especially when dealing with common percentages like 25%, 50%, or 75%. They allow you to express percentages in a way that is familiar and easy for the reader to understand.
Here are common percentages and how they can be expressed using fractions:
73% = nearly three-quarters
Example:
“In 2021, nearly three-quarters of the population relied on renewable energy sources.”
50% = exactly half
Example:
“Exactly half of the students chose to study abroad for their university education.”
24% = almost a quarter
Example:
“In 2020, almost a quarter of the company’s revenue came from international markets.”
49% = just under a half
Example:
“Just under half of the respondents indicated that they work remotely at least once a week.”
51% = just over a half
Example:
“Just over half of the participants in the survey preferred using public transport over private cars.”
26% = roughly a quarter
Example:
“Roughly a quarter of the country’s population lives in rural areas.”
Using fractions makes your description more dynamic and helps reduce repetition, which is key to boosting your coherence and cohesion score.
- Using Proportions to Describe Percentages:
Describing proportions is another effective way to express percentages in IELTS Writing Task 1. This approach allows you to demonstrate your ability to use a wider range of vocabulary when describing data.
70% = a large proportion
Example:
“A large proportion of the budget was allocated to healthcare in 2020, accounting for 70% of the total spending.”
15% = a small minority
Example:
“Only a small minority of employees (15%) reported being satisfied with the company’s new policy.”
3% = an insignificant minority
Example:
“An insignificant minority of the population, around 3%, expressed interest in attending the event.”
90% = the vast majority
Example:
“The vast majority of students, about 90%, preferred online learning over traditional classroom settings.”
55% = a slight majority
Example:
“A slight majority of the survey respondents (55%) indicated that they support renewable energy policies.”
35% = a significant minority
Example:
“A significant minority of the population (35%) believes that climate change is the most pressing global issue.”
By varying how you describe proportions, you can avoid repetitive phrasing and show a higher level of lexical sophistication.
- Using Approximations to Describe Percentages:
Approximations are useful when the percentage is not a precise number or when you want to convey an estimate rather than an exact figure. This technique is especially handy when dealing with ranges or rounded figures.
Here are some examples of how to use approximations:
49% = nearly half
Example:
“Nearly half of the company’s workforce was employed on a part-time basis last year.”
77% = approximately three-quarters
Example:
“Approximately three-quarters of the survey respondents favored reducing work hours.”
51% = just over half
Example:
“Just over half of the participants supported the government’s new tax policy.”
32% = nearly a third
Example:
“Nearly a third of the total revenue came from online sales.”
5% = around five percent
Example:
“Around five percent of the population reported being unemployed last year.”
Using approximations not only adds variety but also helps convey general trends and estimates, which are important in summarizing data.