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French percentage agreement: 30 % des personnes ont or a?

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Choose French verb agreement after percentages, distinguish personnes from population and le taux, and complete data statements with a clear reference.

In short

Write 30 % des personnes ont répondu. Both 30 % and personnes point to a plural verb here. With a singular complement such as population, agreement can follow the collective noun or the percentage, depending on the intended focus.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

Participants responding during a training session.
Agreement follows the people in des personnes ont répondu. Illustration: Atelier

Accorder avec un pourcentage

1 · 30 % des personnes: use the plural

For this construction, ont is the correct choice. Treating the whole written expression as one statistic does not make the verb singular.

30 % des personnes ont répondu.30% of the people replied.

2 · A singular collective can control agreement

Agreement with the singular complement is common when it presents the group as a whole.

30 % de la population a répondu.30% of the population replied.

3 · A plural percentage can control agreement too

With a singular collective complement, plural agreement can foreground the numbered proportion. Both readings exist; choose a clear focus.

30 % du personnel ont suivi la formation.30% of the staff took the training course.

4 · Find the head in le taux de…

In le taux de participation, the subject is le taux. A nearby percentage does not replace that singular head.

Le taux de participation, qui est de 30 %, a augmenté.The participation rate, which is 30%, has increased.

5 · Carry the reference into adjective agreement

When referring to the women or people named by personnes, use feminine plural adjectives and participles.

30 % des personnes interrogées sont satisfaites.30% of the people surveyed are satisfied.

6 · Les and ces make the percentage plural

A plural determiner before the percentage requires plural agreement, even with a singular complement.

Ces 20 % du budget seront consacrés à la formation.This 20% of the budget will be devoted to training.

7 · With 1 %, identify what you mean

Below 2%, the percentage itself is singular. A plural complement can still control plural agreement when the focus is on those people.

1 % des personnes ont demandé un entretien.1% of the people requested an interview.

1 % du budget sera réservé à la formation.1% of the budget will be set aside for training.

8 · Keep an omitted group recoverable

When the group is already known, keep agreement connected to it. Write a space before % in French.

Parmi les personnes interrogées, 30 % sont satisfaites.Among the people surveyed, 30% are satisfied.

Study first: find the agreement reference
SubjectReference chosenVerb
30 % des personnesPlural people / plural percentageont répondu
30 % de la populationSingular collectivea répondu
Le taux de participationSingular head: le tauxa augmenté
Ces 20 % du budgetPercentage with plural determinerseront réservés
  • 30 % des personnes a répondu.30 % des personnes ont répondu.

    Both the plural percentage 30 % and the plural complement support plural agreement here.

  • Le taux de participation ont augmenté.Le taux de participation a augmenté.

    The singular head is le taux; de participation only describes that rate.

  • 30 % des personnes sont satisfait.30 % des personnes sont satisfaites.

    Here the adjective refers to personnes, a feminine plural noun.

Question 1No account needed
Choose the verb for this plural group.30 % des personnes ___ répondu.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ont. The percentage and personnes both lead to the third-person plural: ont répondu.

Question 2No account needed
Use the singular collective population as the agreement reference.40 % de la population ___ participé.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

a. The requested singular-collective reading gives a participé. Plural ont can express a focus on the percentage instead.

Question 3No account needed
Find the grammatical head of the subject.Le taux de réponse ___ augmenté.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

a. Le taux is the singular head, so the auxiliary is a.

Question 4No account needed
Make the adjective refer to personnes.25 % des personnes interrogées sont ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

satisfaites. Personnes is feminine plural, giving satisfaites regardless of the individuals’ genders.

Question 5No account needed
Complete the statement with its plural determiner.Ces 15 % du budget ___ réservés au transport.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

seront. The plural determiner ces before the percentage requires third-person plural seront.

Sources and further reading

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