Using Approximation
Graphs, charts and tables often give a large number of quite precise figures (1.54379, 53.25%, 100,001, etc.). You don't always need to give the same level of precision when you write your description. However, it is important to indicate that the figures you are giving are not exact. You can do this by using words such as approximately, about, just over, just under, etc.
If you want to indicate an approximate figure you can use:
about, roughly, approximately, around
Figure |
Approximation |
100,005 |
about one hundred thousand |
60.04% |
roughly sixty per cent |
40.5°C |
approximately 40 degrees Celsius |
£502.02 |
around five hundred pounds |
To indicate that a figure is less than your approximation you can use:
under, less than, below, almost
Qualifying Adverb |
Adverb |
Figure |
Approximation |
just, a little, slightly, |
under |
99,998 |
just under a hundred thousand a little under a hundred thousand slightly under a hundred thousand |
slightly, a little, just, a bit, |
less than |
58.4 seconds |
slightly less than a minute a little less than a minute just less than a minute a bit less than a minute |
just, slightly, marginally |
below |
9.7% |
just below ten per cent slightly below ten per cent marginally below ten per cent |
——— |
almost |
€14.9bn |
almost 15 billion Euros |
To indicate that a figure is more than your approximation you can use:
over, more than, above
Qualifying Adverb |
Adverb |
Figure |
Approximation |
just, a little, slightly, not much, |
over |
100,008 |
just over one hundred thousand a little over one hundred thousand slightly over on hundred thousand not much over one hundred thousand |
a little, a bit, slightly, barely |
more than |
24 hours 6 minutes |
a little more than twenty-four hours a bit more than twenty-four hours slightly more than twenty-four hours barely more than twenty-four hours |
just, a little, barely, marginally |
above |
32.1°F |
just above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit a little over thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit barely thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit marginally above thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit |
Other words your can use to indicate approximation are:
nearly, close to, approaching
Adverb |
Figure |
Approximation |
nearly |
99,998 |
nearly one hundred thousand |
close to |
9.8% |
close to ten per cent |
approaching |
€14.7bn |
approaching fifteen billion Euros |
To indicate precision you can use:
precisely, exactly
Adverb |
Figure |
Approximation |
precisely |
32.1°F |
precisely thirty-two point one degrees Fahrenheit |
exactly |
2.5 cm |
exactly two point five centimetres |
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