Meaning & use
a portion of
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A part or share of something larger.
Grammar: Followed by a noun: 'a portion of the money'. The verb agrees with the noun after 'of': 'A portion of the profits goes...'
Patterns
- a portion of something
- a portion of the money
- a portion of the population
A portion of the profits will go to charity.
She gave a portion of her land to the city for a park.
Only a portion of the students passed the exam.
phrasefixed phrase
An amount of food served to one person.
Grammar: Often used when talking about meals or diet.
Patterns
- a portion of food
- a large portion of
He ate a large portion of rice and beans.
The restaurant serves a generous portion of pasta.
She only ate a small portion of her dinner.
Common combinations
- a portion of the profits
- A portion of the profits is donated to local schools.
- a large portion of
- A large portion of the audience left early.
- a small portion of
- Only a small portion of the cake was eaten.
- a portion of food
- The diet includes a portion of vegetables at each meal.
Synonyms and how they differ
- a part of
- More general and less formal; can be used for physical parts or abstract shares.
- a share of
- Often implies a division among people, as in 'a share of the winnings'.
- some of
- Used with plural or uncountable nouns, but does not emphasize a measured part.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: a portion of or proportion?
a portion of vs proportion
Proportion compares one part to the whole (e.g., 'a large proportion'), while portion is simply a part or amount.
Practice
A portion of the proceeds ____ to the local hospital every year.
Choose one answer.
The verb agrees with 'proceeds' (plural), so 'go' would be correct, but 'proceeds' is treated as singular here? Actually, 'proceeds' is plural, so 'go' is correct. Wait, the correct answer is 'goes' because 'a portion' is singular. The subject is 'a portion', so singular verb 'goes' is correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a portion of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.