The easy way to ielts writing academic Module

Note that the article 
“the” 
and the preposition 
“of” 
are always used
with 
“amount” 
and 
“number.”
However, if an adjective defines
them more precisely, the definite article 
“the” 
changes to indefinite
articles, 
“an or a” 
depending on the adjective’s initial letter that
follows them.
For example
The
amount of sugar vs.
a large
amount of sugar
The 
number of stores vs. 
a significant 
number of stores
The 
amount of food vs. 
an enormous 
amount of food
However, like many other aspects of grammar in English,
there are some exceptions: If the “adjective” used before
“amount” and “number” is one of the following words, the
“definite article” does not change.
Adjectives: 
total/average/same/greatest/largest/maximum/minimum

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For example
The total
number of students fluctuated marginally.
The average
amount of sugar consumption increased slightly in the
UK.
The figure reached 
the maximum
amount of annual production, with
44%.
Although an adjective defines “number/amount,” the definite
article “the” has remained unchanged in all these examples.
Percent, percentage, proportion, and rate
“The percentage” shows how a quantity is measured on a scale from 1 to 100
as in “a high/low percentage.” However, “percent” refers to a specific amount
on this scale as in “35%.” Similarly, “the proportion” gauges a quantity in a
general way that is not necessarily on a 1-100 scale as in “a large/small
proportion.” On the other hand, “the rate” calculates the frequency as in “the
crime rate.” In other words, percentage, proportion, and rate all describe
quantities as part of a total.
For example
The percentage of families with two children has risen since 1970.
(general information)
There was a fluctuation in the percentage of students’ weekly
attendance in August. (general information)
38% of young adults prefer to be self-employed. (specific
information)
23% of single parents did not have a job. (specific information)
The highest proportion of the population received extended health
benefits in 2010. (general information)
The proportion of expenditure on housing had a minimal decline in
2005. (general information)
Unemployment rates peaked at 32 million in Scotland in 1990.
(specific information)
The rate of crime was reduced over the period. (general information)

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