"percentage of" vs "shares of"

Question

"percentage of" vs "shares of"

Both 'percentage of' and 'shares of' are correct phrases, but they are used in different contexts. 'Percentage of' is used when referring to a portion or fraction of a whole, while 'shares of' is used when talking about ownership or distribution of something.

Last Updated: March 26, 2024

Use 'percentage of' when you want to indicate a part of a whole expressed in hundredths. For example, 'The percentage of students who passed the exam was 80%.'

Examples:

The percentage of people who prefer tea over coffee is increasing.
What is the percentage of students who participate in extracurricular activities?
She calculated the percentage of her monthly income spent on rent.
The percentage of voters who turned out for the election was higher than expected.
Can you tell me the percentage of battery life remaining?

Alternatives:

proportion of
fraction of
portion of
amount of

Use 'shares of' when talking about the division or distribution of something among multiple parties. For example, 'He owns 50 shares of the company.'

Examples:

She bought shares of the tech company.
The shares of the profits were distributed among the employees.
Investors can purchase shares of the mutual fund.
The company issued new shares of stock.
What are the shares of responsibilities in this project?

Alternatives:

ownership of
distribution of
allocation of
portion of

Answer 1

percentage of

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to a portion or fraction of a whole.

Answer 2

shares of

This phrase is correct and commonly used when referring to ownership or distribution of something.

"percentage of" vs "shares of"

percentage of

shares of

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