[Vocabulary] a fifth

[UM Chakma]

Hi there,
"A fifth = one fifths = 1 in 5 = 1/5"
In my opinion, they are exactly same to each other, am I right?

Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's "one-fifth", not "one fifths". You need the hyphen and to remove the "s".

 

[Rover_KE]

'1 in 5' is different from the others.

If five people share a cake we don't say they get one in five each.

 

[SoothingDave]

I thought this was going to be about whiskey. "A fifth" is what Americans call the standard-sized bottle of liquor. Now 750 ml, it was formerly one-fifth of a gallon.

 

[emsr2d2]

'1 in 5' is different from the others.

If five people share a cake we don't say they get one in five each.

We don't say that but it is nonetheless true that if the cake is cut into five and shared equally, they will get "one in five" pieces each. I don't pretend that that is a natural statement at all.

I wasn't suggesting in my first response that they are interchangeable but they do mean the same thing.

 

[UM Chakma]

Great! Rover, you could notice that. I really thought that they were interchangeable by Emsr2d2 first reply. Anyway! now I knew that they are not interchangeable but mean the same by Emsr2d2 second response. I, however, think that "a fifth" and "one fifth" are interchangeable, while "one in five" and "1/5" are interchangeable too. Am I actually right?

 

[Rover_KE]

No. 1/5 is how we write 'one fifth' when our keyboard doesn't enable us to type

.

 

[emsr2d2]

"One in five" is the odd one out there. "A fifth", "one-fifth" and "1/5" are the same thing. If we see "1/5", we read it as "one-fifth".

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would not hyphenate "one fifth" unless it were an atributive adjective.

 

[Rover_KE]

Note that 'a fifth' has other meanings: a musical interval and a spirit measure.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Great! Rover, you could notice that. I really thought that they were interchangeable by Emsr2d2's first reply. Anyway, now I know that they are not interchangeable but mean the same because of [or thanks to] Emsr2d2's second response. I, however, think that "a fifth" and "one fifth" are interchangeable, while "one in five" and "1/5" are interchangeable too. Am I actually right?

Almost!

1, The term one fifth is a fraction. The term one in five often expresses odds. Sometimes either will do, sometimes not. Use them accordingly, and spell out one fifth unless you're writing math problems or formulas or recipes.

Interchangeable:

- One fifth of them failed algebra.
- One in five failed algebra.

Not interchangeable:

- The odds of failing were one in five.
- The odds of failing were one to four. (This means the same thing, because one plus four is five.)
- The chance of failing was one in five.
- The chances of failing were one in five.

2. In most ordinary conversation, we would say a fifth, not one fifth.

- A fifth of the algebra class failed.

3. We would never call a fifth of whiskey one fifth of whiskey.

4. And actually, I'd say "They each get one of five pieces of cake, " not "one in." The logic: They each get one. One of what? One of five pieces of cake.

You're getting there!

 

[MikeNewYork]

For your #3, I wouldn't say never. In a liquor store, a customer might say "I'll have two fifths of Johnnie Walker Black, one fifth of Jack Daniel's, and one liter of Absolut.

 

[UM Chakma]

I would not hyphenate "one fifth" unless it were an atributive adjective.

Hi Mike,
According to your opinion, both "one fifth (unless an attributive adjective)" and "one-fifth" can be used, can't they? I actually thought that unless it is hyphenated, it is incorrect.

 

[MikeNewYork]

In my experience, we don't hyphenate these words when they are not attributive adjectives. So yes, both can be used in different circumstances.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

For your #3, I wouldn't say never. In a liquor store, a customer might say "I'll have two fifths of Johnnie Walker Black, one fifth of Jack Daniel's, and one liter of Absolut.

Yup! Keep me honest!

 

[MikeNewYork]

I learned here a while ago that "always" and "never" usually get one into trouble. ;-)

 

[Rover_KE]

Spot on, Mike.

Some smartass always pops up and proves you wrong.;-)