Summary of ways to express estimation in English

Express estimation in English is frequently used not only in daily conversations but also in English writing, especially in IELTS Writing Task 1. This article delves into the concept, common expressions, and how to effectively use estimation in IELTS Writing Task 1.

I. Definition

Approximately is pronounced as /əˈprɑːk.sə.mət.li/, meaning: used to show that something is almost, but not completely, accurate or exact; roughly. For example:

• The job will take approximately three weeks, and cost approximately £2,000. 

• Jack makes approximately $70,000 a year. 

However, "approximately" is not the only way to express estimation in English. Let's explore some common ways and express estimation in English example.

II. Common ways to express estimation in English

PREP will categorize the ways to express estimation in English into two cases: before a number and after a number. Let's explore them in detail below.

1. Before a number

2. After a number

III. Expressing estimation in IELTS Writing Task 1

Below, PREP will share a sample IELTS Writing Task 1 question and response that utilize expressions of estimation in English. Please take a look!

Topic: The charts below show the results of a survey conducted by a university library to find out the opinions of full-time and part-time students about its services.

Sample:

The pie charts illustrate student sentiments regarding the services of a university library in the form of a survey. It could be seen that full-time students are significantly more satisfied than part-time students are with the library’s IT support, and that full-time attendants also express a proportionally more positive opinion of the library’s opening hours, though to a lesser degree.

In terms of the IT-related help provided by the library, over half of the full-time students rate it as most satisfactory, and nearly a third consider it to be adequate. This leaves around 13% of individuals in this group who do not find this service to be of any help. Over at the cohort of part-time students, there is a noticeable contrast as merely a fifth of survey respondents are most satisfied, while nearly half of them are not at all happy with the library’s support.

At the same time, two-thirds of full-time respondents are highly content with the current opening hours. Of the remaining third, opinion toward this aspect of the library remains generally positive, as only 1% of full-time students rate it as unsatisfactory. 72% of part-time students, meanwhile, are happiest with the opening times, which are proportionally more than the full-time group. Nearly a quarter of (gần all part-time respondents are quite content, so the lowest figure in this group belongs to people who consider the library’s hours unhelpful, at 5%.

IV. Expressing estimation in the workplace

Let's explore how estimation in English is applied in the workplace!

V. Exercises on expressing estimation in English

To better understand the use of estimation in English, let's complete the practice exercise below!

1. Exercise: Fill in the blank with the appropriate answer

1. A: When do you come to pick me up?

B: I finish work at 6, so I’ll see you _____ 6:30.

2. A: How far is it from your house to your school?

B: I think it is 5 kilometers or ________.

3. A: How much water can this barrel hold?

B: It can hold 100 liters, _________.

4. A: What time did you get up this morning?

B: I got up at _______

5. A: Do you know how old her mother is?

B: I don’t know exactly, but I guess she is 40 _____ 41 years old.

2. Answers

PREP has shared the most common ways to express estimation in English, along with a quality practice exercise. Keep following PREP to update more useful English knowledge!