Account For and Make Up
Practice describing shares of a total with “account for,” “make up,” and “represent” in short reports.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Escolha a resposta correta.
What share of the family's grocery spending goes toward snacks?
Snacks account for a quarter of the family's grocery spending.
- 4%
- 25%
- 75%
A quarter is one of four equal parts.
Show solution
- 25%
The statement describes the share of money spent, not the number of grocery items bought.
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2. Preencha a lacuna.
Bus fares account ___ 15% of Maya's monthly expenses.
- for
- of
- to
The verb needs a preposition before the percentage.
Show solution
Bus fares account for 15% of Maya's monthly expenses.
Use “account for + percentage” to report how much of a total something forms.
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3. Preencha a lacuna.
Volunteer guides ___ up most of the museum's weekend team.
- makes
- making
- make
The subject refers to more than one guide.
Show solution
Volunteer guides make up most of the museum's weekend team.
“Make up” can describe the members of a group. Its verb agrees with the plural subject “volunteer guides.”
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4. Escolha a resposta correta.
How can the venue report this share using “represent”?
Ticket sales provided 80% of the venue's income.
- Ticket sales represent for 80% of the venue's income.
- Ticket sales represent 80% of the venue's income.
- Ticket sales represent of 80% of the venue's income.
Pay attention to what comes directly after the verb.
Show solution
- Ticket sales represent 80% of the venue's income.
Unlike “account for,” “represent” takes the percentage directly, without an added preposition.
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5. Escolha a resposta correta.
What share of the gym's income came from day passes?
The gym's income came only from memberships and day passes. Memberships made up 70% of its income.
- 30%
- 70%
- 100%
These two sources cover the whole total.
Show solution
- 30%
“Only” tells us there are no other sources, so the two shares must add up to 100%.
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6. Preencha a lacuna.
In the budget, nearly half of the delivery costs ___ accounted for by fuel.
- have
- do
- are
“Accounted for by” needs a form of “be” before it.
Show solution
In the budget, nearly half of the delivery costs are accounted for by fuel.
The passive form puts the costs first: “costs are accounted for by fuel.” The contributing category comes after “by.”
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7. Escolha a resposta correta.
What does the first speaker's statement actually tell us?
“Repairs accounted for 20% of last year's spending.”
“Does that tell us why total spending increased?”- Repairs caused total spending to increase by 20%.
- Repairs formed part of the spending; the reason for the increase is not given.
- Repairs explain the entire increase in spending.
A share of a total is different from a cause of a change.
Show solution
- Repairs formed part of the spending; the reason for the increase is not given.
“Account for” can also mean “explain,” but reporting a percentage does not establish a cause.
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8. Escolha a resposta correta.
How do “made up” and “make up for” differ here?
Late deliveries made up 8% of all deliveries. The company offered refunds to make up for the delays.
- The first describes a share; the second describes compensation.
- The first describes compensation; the second describes a share.
- Both describe shares of a total.
The extra word “for” changes the meaning.
Show solution
- The first describes a share; the second describes compensation.
“Make up for” describes an effort to balance out a problem or loss, rather than a share of a total.
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9. Escolha a resposta correta.
Which report keeps the same meaning with the total as the subject?
Membership fees and donations make up the charity's entire income.
- The charity's entire income makes up membership fees and donations.
- Membership fees and donations are made up of the charity's entire income.
- The charity's entire income is made up of membership fees and donations.
Membership fees and donations are the parts; income is the whole.
Show solution
- The charity's entire income is made up of membership fees and donations.
“Parts make up a whole” becomes “the whole is made up of the parts.” Notice the preposition “of.”
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10. Escolha a resposta correta.
What share of bookings was made by phone?
Online and phone bookings represented 65% and 35% of bookings, respectively.
- 65%
- 35%
- 100%
The booking methods and percentages follow matching orders.
Show solution
- 35%
“Respectively” matches each item to the figure in the same position: first with first, second with second.
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11. Escolha a resposta correta.
What total is used for the share described as “half”?
International sales represented 20% of all sales. Online orders accounted for half of those international sales.
- International sales
- All sales
- All online orders
Follow “those” back to the group it refers to.
Show solution
- International sales
A report can describe a share within another share. The relevant total is not always the overall total.
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12. Escolha a resposta correta.
What does this tell us about the dollar amount of online sales?
Online sales made up a larger share of revenue this year, while total revenue was lower.
- It must have increased.
- It must have decreased.
- It may have increased, decreased, or stayed the same.
Both the share and the size of the total affect the dollar amount.
Show solution
- It may have increased, decreased, or stayed the same.
A larger slice of a smaller total does not necessarily have a larger value.