Prepositions for numbers and trends
Rose to, by, from, at, with — small words that make Task 1 numbers accurate.
Why it matters
A single wrong preposition can change the meaning of a statistic ('rose by 20%' vs 'rose to 20%'). Accurate data language is essential for Task 1 Task Achievement and Grammatical Accuracy.
The rules
From… to… for start and end values.
Sales rose from 10,000 to 25,000.
By for the size of the change.
Sales rose by 15,000 (a rise of 150%).
At / with for a value at a point; peak at, stand at.
Sales peaked at 30,000 in 2015. They stood at 12% in 2000.
Of after nouns of change; in for years; between for ranges.
a rise of 5%, in 2010, between 2010 and 2020
Model sentences
- Unemployment fell by four percentage points, from 11% to 7%.
- Visitor numbers peaked at 2.3 million in 2019 before dropping sharply.
- Germany had the highest figure, with 42% of homes using solar panels.
Common mistakes
Incorrect: It increased with 20%.
Correct: It increased by 20%.
'By' for the amount of change.
Incorrect: It reached to a peak.
Correct: It reached a peak / peaked at…
'Reach' takes a direct object.
Incorrect: an increase in 5%
Correct: an increase of 5% (an increase in sales)
'Of' + amount; 'in' + thing.
Band tip
Check yourself
'Prices rose ___ $2 ___ $3.' (start and end)
from … to
'There was a sharp decline ___ the number of smokers.'
in
'The figure levelled off ___ around 40%.'
at