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