Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[jasonlulu_2000]

Here is a long-existing problem for me.

The house price this year is three times higher than that of last year.

Does it have the same meaning as the following:

The house price this year is three times as high as that of last year.


Similarly,

The house price this year is 70 percent lower than that of last year

Does it equal:

The house price this year is 70 percent as low as that of last year.



Could any native help me out?

Thank you very much


Jason

[pugachevV]

I understand your confusion. I'm often baffled by this myself.
The problem often is that the writer is also confused.
If I have a house that cost me 10000 and it is now 3 times higher, it is 3 x 1000 higher i.e. the original 10000 plus 30000, or 40,000

However, I would say the writer generally means that it is 3 times as high as it was last year, (i.e. a total of 30000 including the original price).

If you say the house price is 70 percent lower than last year.
I think that means 10000 - 70% (7000) for a total of 3000 for the house.

If you say 70% as low, does it mean the house is only 70% of last year's price, in which case it would be 7000? Or does tit mean that the price has improved by 30%?
It would be better to say that house prices are only 70% of what they were last year. Alternatively you can say that they are 30% less than they were last year.

Fortunately, the writer often quotes an example of a house sale that proves his point and so it is usually easy to to find out what he really means.
It is a good idea to be unambiguous whenever you are dealing with financial or technical matters.

[jasonlulu_2000]

Thank you for your help. So
Do you mean in most cases

house prices are 30% less than they were last year=house prcies are 70% of what they were.

house prices are three times higher than they were =house prices are three times as high as they were.

Can we say:
A is n times more+adjective than B

When n is larger than 1, then it equals A is n times as adjective as B

When n is smaller than 1, then it equals A is (1-n) times as adjective as B.[/quote]

[pugachevV]

1).house prices are 30% less than they were last year=house prcies are 70% of what they were.
Yes - that's what I mean.

2).house prices are three times as high as they were = the houses are last years price x 3

3). house prices are three times higher than they were = let's say that this is just another way to say the same thing as in 2). above.

[jasonlulu_2000]

REALLY APPRECIATE IT!