fifth of all

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fifth of all" is not correct in standard written English.
It may be intended to express a fraction or a ranking, but it lacks clarity and proper context. Example: "In the survey results, the fifth of all respondents preferred option A."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

43 human-written examples

Today only a fifth of all loans are to households.

The Economist

By 2006 a fifth of all new mortgages were subprime.

The Economist

A fifth of all children do not attend school.

The New York Times

They also accounted for a fifth of all foreign investment.

The New York Times

But now two-parent nuclear families account for only a fifth of all households.

The New York Times

A fifth of all private-sector schemes are now of the DC kind.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

One-fifth of all Party members are under 25.

The New Yorker

(Monocots comprise roughly one-fifth of all flowering plants).

The Guardian

The subterranean world hosts up to one-fifth of all biomass, but it remains a mystery.

University of California, Berkeley

Atrial fibrillation occurs in 5%-15% of elderly patients and causes one-fourth to one-fifth of all cerebrovascular events.

Revista Española de Cardiología

Airlines are responsible for nearly one-fifth of all passenger movement.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For improved clarity and grammatical correctness, use "one-fifth of all" or "a fifth of all" instead of "fifth of all".

Common error

Avoid using "fifth of all" without the article "a" or the numeral "one". Without these, the phrase is grammatically incomplete and less clear.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fifth of all" typically functions as a determiner or quantifier, specifying a proportion or fraction of a whole. However, without an article, Ludwig AI identifies it as grammatically questionable. Examples show it used to indicate percentages, shares, or portions of a group or quantity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

34%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Academia

2%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "fifth of all" is commonly used across various domains, Ludwig AI marks it as grammatically incorrect. It functions to quantify a proportion, aiming to provide quantitative information in a neutral register. To ensure grammatical correctness, use phrases like "one-fifth of all" or "a fifth of all".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

one-fifth of the total

Replaces "all" with "the total" for clarity.

20% of the whole

Expresses the fraction as a percentage.

a fifth part of everything

Uses "everything" instead of "all".

one in five of the entire group

Rephrases the fraction using "one in five".

a fifth portion of the aggregate

Replaces common words with their more formal equivalent.

20 percent of all

Expresses the fraction as percentage, keeping all.

a fraction equaling one fifth of the entirety

A longer, more descriptive way of saying "one fifth".

a fifth of the population

Specifies a group for the fraction, adding more details.

one part in five of the ensemble

Replaces words with its synonyms.

a fifth share of the entire amount

Expresses the fraction as a share or portion.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the phrase "fifth of all" in a sentence?

While commonly used, "fifth of all" is grammatically incorrect. Use "one-fifth of all" or "a fifth of all" instead for better clarity and correctness.

What's a good alternative to "fifth of all"?

You can use phrases like "one-fifth of the total" or "20% of the whole" to express the same idea.

Which is more grammatically sound: "fifth of all" or "one-fifth of all"?

"One-fifth of all" is grammatically sound, while "fifth of all" is generally considered incorrect without the numeral "one" or the article "a".

Is there a difference in meaning between "fifth of all" and "a fifth of all"?

While the intended meaning is similar, "a fifth of all" is grammatically complete and clearer than "fifth of all", which is commonly considered incorrect. "A fifth of all" is always more correct.