a quarter of

USAGE SUMMARY

"a quarter of" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you are referring to one-fourth of a specific amount or group of things. For example: "A quarter of the students in my class failed the exam."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A quarter of a tank of gasoline?

The New York Times

A quarter of pregnancies are unplanned.

The Economist

About a quarter of those made confessions.

The New York Times

About a quarter of the population left.

The Economist

A quarter of a million words.

Independent

A quarter of the university is listed.

The Economist

Oaktree owns nearly a quarter of Tribune.

The New York Times

Now they get a quarter of it.

The New Yorker

A quarter of all post went astray.

The Economist

A quarter of the planet is Muslim.

Independent

A quarter of children are malnourished.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing for a global audience, consider using "25 percent of" instead of "a quarter of", as percentages are universally understood and reduce the chance of misinterpretation.

Common error

Be mindful of the noun that follows "a quarter of". If it's a countable noun, use a plural form (e.g., "a quarter of the students"). If it's an uncountable noun, use a singular form (e.g., "a quarter of the water").

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "a quarter of" is as a partitive, indicating a specific fraction of a whole. It functions as a determiner, specifying the quantity of the noun that follows. Ludwig AI confirms that it's correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

21%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a quarter of" is a grammatically correct and widely used partitive phrase, indicating one-fourth of something. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is suitable for various contexts, ranging from formal academic writing to informal conversation. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media, science, and academic sources. When using this phrase, ensure clarity regarding the whole being referenced and be mindful of proper noun pluralization. Alternative phrases include "one-fourth of" and "25 percent of". Remember to be mindful of the context and intent of your writing, choosing the most precise and universally understood wording possible.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

one-fourth of

Emphasizes the numerical fraction equivalent to a quarter.

25 percent of

Expresses the same proportion as a percentage.

one part in four

Expresses the ratio in a more descriptive way.

a fourth part of

Highlights that it is a component of a whole.

a portion of

Focuses on the concept of a part without specifying the exact fraction.

a share of

Similar to "a portion of", suggesting a part that is allocated or belongs to someone or something.

part of

A more general term indicating that something is not whole.

a fraction of

A less precise way to specify a portion.

a fragment of

Suggests a smaller, possibly broken or incomplete part.

some of

Indicates an unspecified amount or number.

FAQs

How do I use "a quarter of" in a sentence?

Use "a quarter of" to indicate one-fourth of something. For example, "A quarter of the students in the class passed the exam".

What can I say instead of "a quarter of"?

You can use alternatives like "one-fourth of", "25 percent of", or "a portion of" depending on the context.

Is it "a quarter of the students is" or "a quarter of the students are"?

The correct usage is "a quarter of the students are". When "a quarter of" is followed by a plural noun, use a plural verb.

What's the difference between "a quarter of" and "some of"?

"A quarter of" specifies a precise proportion (25%), while "some of" indicates an unspecified amount or number. Therefore, "a quarter of" is more specific than "some of".