ARTICLES, DETERMINERS AND QUANTIFIERS

Unit 18 – What Matters to People?

Expressions of quantity, proportion and distribution

A political party is preparing to write a new manifesto. Before deciding what to include, it commissions an independent research team to find out which issues matter most to the public.

The team organises discussion groups and conducts a survey. Its job is to listen, record what people say and report the findings accurately. The party has asked for evidence, not for the researchers to tell people what to think.

In this unit you will read the research report, interpret its figures and practise describing quantities and proportions.

1. What should the researchers ask about?

The research team draws up a list of possible topics. Participants can raise other concerns as well.

The cost of living and the price of everyday essentials.
Housing, rents and the difficulty many people face in getting onto the property ladder.
Healthcare, access to GPs and hospital waiting times.
Climate change and the transition to cleaner energy.
Artificial intelligence and the possibility that some jobs may disappear or change.
Employment, wages and job security.
Education, training and opportunities for young people.
Immigration, integration and pressure on public services.
Crime and safety in local neighbourhoods.
Pensions, social care and the needs of an ageing population.
Transport and the availability of affordable public transport.
Social media and its effects on young people.

The list is intended to encourage discussion. It does not imply that every participant agrees that these are the most important issues.

Discuss: Which three issues would you expect people to mention most often? Would people of different ages have the same priorities?

2. Listening to different points of view

At the first discussion group, the participants do not agree about everything. A young renter says that housing is the biggest problem facing people of her age. She knows several people who have good jobs but cannot afford a deposit. Another participant, who is retired, is more concerned about the cost of heating and the availability of healthcare.

A parent talks about social media. She is worried about the pressure it can put on teenagers: some compare their appearance and lifestyles with carefully edited images, while others experience online bullying. A student, however, points out that social media also helps young people find information, share creative work and keep in touch with friends.

One participant gives the example of neighbourhood WhatsApp groups. In her area, a large number of residents use them to exchange information, organise community events and help people who are having difficulties. “Our group has brought quite a few neighbours together,” she says. “People offer lifts, lend tools and let one another know when someone needs help.”

Another participant is concerned about artificial intelligence. He thinks that a growing number of jobs will be affected, although he is not sure how many will disappear altogether. Someone else argues that AI may create new kinds of work as well as changing existing jobs.

The discussion leader makes a note of each point. The purpose is not to decide who is right, but to understand the different experiences behind people's opinions.

A discussion group can reveal why people hold particular opinions. It cannot, by itself, tell researchers how common those opinions are in the whole population.

3. The survey results

The team then carries out a fictional survey of 1,000 adults. Each person can choose up to three issues. The figures below are invented for this learning unit; they are not real polling results.

Issue mentioned	Number of respondents	Percentage	Approximate proportion
Cost of living	680	68%	About two thirds
NHS and healthcare	610	61%	Just over three fifths
Housing	480	48%	Just under half
Immigration	350	35%	About a third
Education	320	32%	Almost a third
Crime	270	27%	A little over a quarter
Climate change	230	23%	Just under a quarter
AI and employment	210	21%	About one in five
Social media and young people	190	19%	Just under one in five
Transport	180	18%	A little under a fifth

Because respondents could select up to three issues, the percentages add up to more than 100%. The results show how often each issue was mentioned, not how many people chose it as their single most important concern.

What the figures show

The cost of living was mentioned by more than two thirds of the respondents. A substantial majority also mentioned healthcare. Just under half referred to housing, while roughly a third mentioned immigration or education.

About one in five respondents mentioned AI and employment, and a slightly smaller proportion referred to social media and young people. These figures do not mean that the remaining respondents were unconcerned about those subjects; they may simply have chosen other issues when asked to select up to three.

4. Expressions of quantity and proportion

A. Large and small proportions

Expression	Example
a majority of	A majority of respondents mentioned healthcare.
a substantial / significant proportion of	A significant proportion of younger people were concerned about housing.
a minority of	A minority of participants mentioned transport.
nearly all / almost everyone	Nearly all the participants had used social media.
very few / hardly any	Very few people said they never used a mobile phone.
most / most of	Most people wanted reliable public services. Most of the younger respondents mentioned housing.

B. Numbers and amounts

a large / small number of + plural countable noun: A large number of residents use the local WhatsApp group.
a great many + plural countable noun: A great many people are worried about household bills.
a considerable amount of + uncountable noun: A considerable amount of money is spent on housing.
plenty of + plural countable or uncountable noun: There are plenty of opinions to consider; there is plenty of evidence to examine.
a growing number of + plural countable noun: A growing number of jobs involve working with digital technology.

C. Approximate proportions

about / roughly half = approximately 50%
just over / just under a third = a little more / less than 33%
almost / nearly a quarter = close to 25%
one in five = 20%; three out of ten = 30%
twice as many = double the number; half as many = 50% of the number

D. Number or amount? Number or proportion?

Use	Example
number + plural countable noun	The number of people mentioning housing was 480.
amount + uncountable noun	The amount of money people spend on rent varies.
proportion / percentage + of	The proportion of respondents mentioning climate change was 23%.

Agreement: A number of people are concerned about housing. But the number of people is rising. The subject of the second sentence is the number, not people.

5. Practice 1 – Match the expression to the figure

Choose the closest description. Use the survey table above.

1. 68%

2. 48%

3. 21%

4. 32%

5. 23%

6. 61%

1 About two thirds · 2 Just under half · 3 About one in five · 4 Almost a third · 5 Just under a quarter · 6 Just over three fifths

6. Practice 2 – Complete the report

Complete each sentence with an expression from the list. More than one answer may sometimes be possible if the meaning is appropriate.

Word bank: a growing number of · a considerable amount of · a minority of · most · nearly all · a large number of · twice as many

1. ______ respondents mentioned the cost of living; it was the most frequently selected issue.

2. ______ residents use the neighbourhood WhatsApp group to share information and organise help.

3. The researchers found that ______ money was being spent on housing and heating.

4. Only ______ the participants thought that social media had no disadvantages at all.

5. ______ people are now asking how artificial intelligence might affect their work.

6. In this sample, ______ respondents mentioned the cost of living as mentioned transport.

1 Most / A large number of · 2 A large number of · 3 A considerable amount of · 4 A minority of · 5 A growing number of · 6 Nearly four times as many / Almost four times as many

7. Practice 3 – Number, amount or proportion?

Select the correct word or phrase.

1. The ______ of people mentioning housing was 480.

2. A considerable ______ of money is spent on rent.

3. The ______ of respondents who mentioned climate change was 23%.

4. A large ______ of residents have joined the online group.

5. The ______ of people using the service has increased.

6. A significant ______ of young respondents were worried about housing.

1 number · 2 amount · 3 proportion · 4 number · 5 number · 6 proportion

8. Reading the report critically

What can the researchers conclude?

The research team submits its report to the political party. It points out that the cost of living was mentioned by the largest number of people in the survey. Healthcare was also mentioned by a majority of respondents. Housing was selected by just under half.

The team is careful not to claim that the survey represents every person in the country. The sample contains 1,000 adults, and the results depend on who was asked, how the questions were worded and which answers people were allowed to choose. Since each respondent could select up to three issues, the figures cannot be treated as a list of exclusive choices.

The discussion groups add detail that the figures cannot provide. For example, some young people describe social media as an important way of maintaining friendships and finding support. Others talk about pressure, distraction and online bullying. A number of residents describe how neighbourhood messaging groups help them organise practical support. These experiences show why it is misleading to describe social media as entirely harmful or entirely beneficial.

The report also warns that a concern being mentioned by fewer people does not necessarily make it unimportant. A relatively small proportion of respondents mentioned transport, for example, but that issue may be particularly significant for people who have no access to a car or live in areas with limited public transport.

The researchers finish with a recommendation: the party should consider both the number of people affected by an issue and the seriousness of its effects. The survey can inform discussion, but it cannot make political decisions on the party's behalf.

9. Practice 4 – Check your understanding

1. Why do the survey percentages add up to more than 100%?

2. What can a discussion group provide?

3. Why should the researchers be cautious about their conclusions?

4. What does the report say about social media?

5. Why might an issue mentioned by relatively few people still matter?

1 People could select up to three issues · 2 Detailed explanations of people's views · 3 The sample and questions have limitations · 4 It can have both positive and negative effects · 5 It may have serious effects on a particular group

10. Practice 5 – Correct the verb

Choose the verb that agrees with the subject.

1. A number of residents ______ joined the WhatsApp group.

2. The number of people mentioning housing ______ increased.

3. A considerable amount of money ______ spent on rent.

4. Most of the participants ______ concerned about the cost of living.

5. The majority of respondents ______ selected healthcare.

6. The amount of time people spend online ______ from person to person.

1 have · 2 has · 3 is · 4 were · 5 have · 6 varies. Note: singular agreement is also possible with 'the majority' in some contexts, but plural agreement is natural here because the sentence refers to the respondents.

11. Your turn – Write a short research summary

Imagine that you are a member of the research team. Write a short summary for the political party. Use the survey figures and include:

the two issues mentioned by the largest numbers of respondents;
one issue mentioned by about a third or a quarter;
one concern about AI and employment;
both a positive and a negative effect of social media;
an example of how online groups can help a local community;
at least five expressions of quantity or proportion.

Try to distinguish what the figures show from what participants said in the discussion groups. Do not claim that the fictional survey represents the whole country.

12. Language summary

Proportion: a majority of, a minority of, a significant proportion of, nearly all, very few.
Number and amount: a large number of + plural countable noun; a considerable amount of + uncountable noun.
Approximation: roughly half, just over a third, almost a quarter, one in five.
Comparison: twice as many, half as many, considerably more, a smaller proportion.
Agreement: A number of people are ...; the number of people is ...

End of Unit 18.