雅思写作技巧：如何在小作文里正确使用分数形式描述数据？
雅思A类小作文通常要求考生描述数据和百分比。偶尔把在图表中出现的数字和百分比换成分数形式是个不错的主意。
如果你可以正确地用分数来描述图表中的数据，考官会觉得你的词汇量比其他只会直接引用那些数据的考生丰富一点。
比如，如果图表里包含这四个百分比：7%，25%，8%，33%，27%， 那你最好把25%和33%那两个百分比变成分数来表达（a quarter, a third）。所以呢，把几个数据写成分数的形式很好，不过没必要对全部数据都那样做。
但是很多考生要么一点都不会用英文来表达这样分数，要么在尝试写分数时就经常犯错。实际上这件事情很简单。你基本上只要学会👇这五个表述就可以：
01, a quarter 四分之一
02, a third 三分之一
03, (a) half 二分之一
04, two thirds 三分之二
05, three quarters 四分之三
以上都是最基本的，所有级别的英语学生都必须知道的。除了以上那五个之外，学会用五分之一，五分之二等在你的雅思考试中也会有帮助。
01, one fifth 五分之一
02, two fifths 五分之二
03, three fifths 五分之三
04, four fifths 五分之四
英语里还有很多不同的分数表述，但是以上这些都是最常用的。相对少用到的类似three sevenths, five sixths等等这些，都是最好不要在雅思写作考试中使用的表达。如果你去用那些母语人不那么经常用的分数表达，反而会让考官觉得你在勉强炫耀用分数的那个能力，读起来也不自然。
如果图表中的数字不是确切的分数的话，比如说26%，或者300人中的99个人，可以用类似over, under, more than, less than那样的词语。比如：just over a quarter / a little under a third of the people。
以下就是写学术英语作文的英文母语人士会用的百分比和分数表达的对照。
01, 1%-7%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这
02, 8%- under a tenth
03, 9%- just under a tenth / under a tenth
04, 10%- one tenth
05, 11%- just over a tenth / over a tenth
06, 12%- over a tenth (理论上可以用around one eight，但是我们很少那样做)
07, 13%-17%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些
08, 18%- under one fifth
09, 9%- just under one fifth / under one fifth
10, 20%- one fifth
11, 21%- just over one fifth / over one fifth
12, 22%- over one fifth
13, 23%- under a quarter
14, 24%- just under a quarter / under a quarter
15, 25%- a quarter
16, 26%- just over a quarter / over a quarter
17, 27%- over a quarter
18, 28%-30%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些 (理论上可以用three tenths来表达30%，但是我们很少那样做)
19, 31%- under a third
20, 32%- just under a third / under a third
21, 33%- a third (实际上a third等于33.33333333%，但是一般来说我们把33%当成a third)
22, 34%- just over a third / over a third
23, 35%- over a third
24, 36%&37%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些
25, 38%- under two fifths
26, 39%- just under two fifths / under two fifths
27, 40%- two fifths
28, 41%- just over two fifths / over two fifths
29, 42%- over two fifths
30, 43%-46%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些
31, 47%- under (a) half
32, 48%&49%- just under (a) half
33, 50%- (a) half
34, 51%&52%- just over (a) half
35, 53%- over (a) half
36, 54%-57%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些
37, 58%- under three fifths
38, 59%- just under three fifths/under three fifths
39, 60%- three fifths
40, 61%- just over three fifths / over three fifths
41, 62%- over three fifths
42, 63%&64%- under two thirds
43, 65%- just under two thirds
44, 66%- two thirds
45, 67%- just over two thirds
46, 68%&69%- over two thirds
47, 70%-72%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些
48, 73%- under three quarters
49, 74%- just under three quarters
50, 75%- three quarters
51, 76%- just over three quarters
52, 77%- over three quarters
53, 78%- over three quarters / under four fifths
54, 79%- just under four fifths
55, 80%- four fifths
56, 81%- just over four fifths
57, 82%- over four fifths
58, 83-100%: 我们通常不会用分数表达这些
另外，我们当然也可以用around, about, approximately 这样的单词来表达“大概”、“左右”的意思。
例如：
around a quarter (22%-28%)
about a third (30%-36%)
approximately three quarters (72%-78%)
讲了那么多，下面你要不要自己尝试一下用分数来表达百分比？
请把下面三句话里的百分比换成分数的表述。
01, 25% of household income in France is spent on food and drink.
02, German families spend 19% of their incomes on entertainment and 33% on housing.
03, The average family in the UK spends 27% of its income on food and drink and 11% on each of clothing and entertainment.
例子答案展示
01, （Exactly) a quarter of household income in France is spent on food and drink.
02, German families spend just under a fifth of their incomes on entertainment and one third on housing.
03, The average family in the UK spends over a quarter of its income on food and drink and just over one tenth on each of clothing and entertainment.
约翰：
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