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.”