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Lesson 34 – Statistics
First, let’s clarify the difference between “number” and “amount” – we use “number” with countable
nouns, and “amount” with uncountable nouns.
A large number of people
A massive amount of damage
A significant number of countries
A considerable amount of money
A tiny number of computers
A miniscule amount of alcohol
Numbers and statistics can increase or decrease (more formal), rise or fall (also formal) or go up and go
down (more informally). When a number goes up or down very fast, we can describe this as sharp or
dramatic – for example, the sudden improvement in the economy has resulted in a dramatic drop in
unemployment and a sharp rise in consumer spending. When a number goes up or down slowly, then
we can talk about a gradual increase in population or a slow decline in the number of violent crimes.
And if a number doesn’t change, then it remains steady or remains constant.
We use the word “widespread” to describe something that is happening frequently in many places. For
example, there being widespread dissatisfaction with the government, or a new book winning
widespread acclaim in the literary world. A hurricane can cause widespread damage, and a presidential
candidate can have widespread support among voters of a certain demographic.
In conversational English, we often use the structure keep + -ING to describe something that happens
frequently. For example,
“I’m trying to work, but my colleagues keep interrupting me.”
“Why do you keep asking me about the problem? I’ve told you a thousand times I don’t know
how to solve it.”
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