what fraction of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "what fraction of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when inquiring about a part or portion of a whole, often in mathematical or statistical contexts. Example: "What fraction of the total budget is allocated to marketing?"

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

What fraction of all contacted individuals began the study?

Harvard University

What fraction of Americans can actually afford that?

The Washington Post

"We will nail down what fraction of stars have planets," and more important, "what fraction of those planets are small, terrestrial planets".

The New York Times - Science

What fraction of the firefighters of Park Slope's Squad 1 is new?

The New York Times

According to the article, what fraction of Inc 500 turned a profit last year?

The New York Times

The theory determines what fraction of the lifetime an individual works, not when.

Review of Economic Dynamics

And then we ask, what fraction of that missing amount now has been filled in?

Cornell University

But what fraction of crop yield variability do they actually account for?

Columbia University

What fraction of its likely life span has the Milky Way already 'lived through'?

Cornell University

They can only guess what fraction of policyholders will end up dropping out mid-year.

Stanford University

(Hint: What fraction of the tape was used to record the first show?) QUIZ ANSWERS Detailed solutions are at figurethis.org.org

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clarity, specify the whole you are referring to when asking "what fraction of". For instance, instead of "What fraction is affected?", use "What fraction of the population is affected by the disease?".

Common error

Avoid ambiguity by clearly defining the denominator in your "what fraction of" question. For example, saying "What fraction are students?" is less clear than "What fraction of the attendees are students?"

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what fraction of" functions as an interrogative phrase used to inquire about the proportional part of a whole. Ludwig AI indicates it's correct and widely used in asking about quantifiable elements.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

34%

Academia

31%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "what fraction of" is a versatile interrogative used to inquire about proportions across various contexts, from scientific research to news reporting. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically sound and quite common. It is important to ensure clarity by specifying the whole you are referring to and to avoid ambiguity in your questions. When a percentage is needed, the alternative "what percentage of" may be more easily understandable. Remember that the phrase is suitable for a neutral register and, based on the wide range of examples provided by Ludwig, it is often used in academic, news, and scientific contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

what proportion of

Replaces "fraction" with "proportion", emphasizing relative amount.

what percentage of

Uses "percentage" instead of "fraction", indicating a part out of one hundred.

how much of

Replaces "fraction" with "much", suitable for uncountable items.

what amount of

Substitutes "fraction" with "amount", focusing on the quantity of something.

what part of

Uses "part" instead of "fraction", indicating a portion of a whole.

what quantity of

Replaces "fraction" with "quantity", focusing on the amount or number.

what share of

Substitutes "fraction" with "share", emphasizing the portion belonging to someone or something.

what ratio of

Uses "ratio" instead of "fraction", indicating a comparison between two quantities.

how many

Simplifies the phrase to ask about the number of items.

to what degree

Changes the structure to focus on the extent or degree to which something is true.

FAQs

How do I use "what fraction of" in a sentence?

Use "what fraction of" when you want to know the proportional part of a whole. For example, "What fraction of the students passed the exam?" or "What fraction of the Earth's surface is covered by water?"

What's the difference between "what fraction of" and "what percentage of"?

"What fraction of" expresses a part of a whole as a fraction (e.g., 1/4), while "what percentage of" expresses it as a part of 100 (e.g., 25%). They are interchangeable, but percentages are often easier to understand at a glance.

What can I say instead of "what fraction of"?

You can use alternatives like "how much of", "what proportion of", or "what amount of depending on the context".

When is it more appropriate to use "what fraction of" versus "how many"?

"What fraction of" is used when you want to express a part of a whole, whereas "how many" is used when you want to know the total count. For example, "What fraction of the apples are red?" versus "How many apples are red?"