one, less than one and more than one.

[Nessie]

Hi,

Please have a look at these:

1. One orange is rotten. => OK because this is one orange.
2. 1/2 of the orange is rotten. => OK because this is less than one
3. 3/2 of the oranges are rotten => OK
4. 20 per cent of the students here are female => OK

Please give me a check.
Thank you very much.
Nessie.
_________________
... something we never have again, I know... I guess I really really know..

Sorry seems to be the hardest word...

[Yankee]

Hi Nessie

Grammatically, your sentences are fine. BUT...

3. 3/2 of the oranges are rotten.

Do you mean 150% of the oranges? (That seems to be what you've written. But how is that possible?)

Or did you mean two thirds (2/3) of the oranges?
.
_________________
Amy
.
ESL teacher, and native speaker of American English

[Nessie]

Oh I'm sorry Amy. Yes, I mean 2/3
Now talking about "2/3 of the oranges", I think there are 2 ways of understanding:

1. 2/3 of the oranges are rotten (we are talking about a certain number of oranges - for example 9 oranges, and 6 of them are rotten)
2. 2/3 of the oranges is rotten (we are talking about one orange of which 2/3 is rotten.

What do you think?

As for:

20 per cent of the students here are female => OK

What about this, Amy:
1 per cent of the students here (be) female.
=> we say one percent, but the number of female students may be greater than one, so...)

[Barb_D]

[Daemon99]

[Nessie]

Thanks a lot, Barb
And how about this:

1 per cent of the students here (be) female.

[Nessie]