Chapter 2 Word Choice
75
percent/percentage
Mrs. B wants to clear up some confusion about "percent" and
"percentage."
"Percent" is always used with a specific number.
v
The mayor won 80 PERCENT of the primary vote.
"Percentage" is used with a descriptive term such as "large" or
"small."
v
Only a small PERCENTAGE of registered voters turned out.
"Percent," you' ll notice, is written as one word. It takes a singular
verb when it stands alone.
v
50 percent attendance IS all we can expect.
"Percent" takes a singular verb when a singular word follows the
"of."
v
30 percent of our AUDIENCE IS male.
v
70 percent of the LEGISLATURE IS set to vote the bill down.
"Percent" takes a plural verb when a plural word follows the "of."
v
20 percent of the WOMEN who watch us ARE under 50.
v
Only 30 percent of the LEGISLATORS ARE supporting the bill.
When "the" comes before "percentage," it takes a singular verb.
v
THE percentage of unskilled workers IS small.
When preceded by "a," "percentage" takes either a singular or a
plural verb, depending on whether the noun following "of" is
singular or plural.
v
A small percentage of REPORTERS HAVE their master's
degree.
v
A large percentage of the NEWSCAST IS devoted to
commercials.
