English Vocabulary in Use - 71 Number: statistics and quantity

twofold, threefold

the suffix -fold means ‘multiplied by that number’

quadrupled

increased by four times

by a factor of

multiplied by

drastic

severe and sudden

revised upwards

changed to a higher number

deviated from the norm

moved away from the standard or accepted pattern

fluctuate

keep going up and down

seesawed

gone up and down at regular intervals

erratic

not regular and often changing suddenly

aggregate

total

aggregated

added up all the different amounts

blip

temporary change

correlation between

connection between facts or things which cause or affect each other

GDP

Gross Domestic Product: the total amount that a country produces

expenditure

the amount of money spent on something

discrepancy between

difference between two things that should be the same

ratio

the relationship between two amounts, which expresses how much bigger one is than the other

flawed

inaccurate

multiple

very many of the same type, or of different types

inconsistent with

not in agreement with

ballpark figure

guess believed to be accurate

tot everything up

add everything up (less formal)

run into six figures

get a figure over 100,000

variables

different factors that may change

projected figures

planned figures

erred on the side of caution

been cautious

rounded things down

make, say, 2.5 into 2 rather than 3

conservative

cautious