Percentage and times: A teacher has 3 hours to grade all the 35 papers.

Sohel

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A teacher has 3 hours to grade all the 35 papers. She gets through the first 5 papers in 30 minutes. How much faster does she have to work to grade the remaining papers in time? Will it be wrong if I say '' she has to be 1.2 times faster instead of 20% faster?''?
 
Percentage and times

A teacher has 3 hours to grade all the 35 papers. She gets through the first 5 papers in 30 minutes. How much faster does she have to work to grade the remaining papers in time? Will it be wrong if I say '' she has to be 1.2 times faster instead of 20% faster?''?
 
A teacher has 3 hours to grade all the 35 papers. She gets through the first 5 papers in 30 minutes. How much faster does she have to work to grade the remaining papers in time? Will it be wrong if I say '' she has to be 1.2 times faster instead of 20% faster?''?
They are both saying the same thing.
 
A teacher has 3 hours to grade all the 35 papers. She gets through the first 5 papers in 30 minutes. How much faster does she have to work to grade the remaining papers in time? Will it be wrong if I say '' she has to be 1.2 times faster instead of 20% faster?''?

Many people (mathematicians and other sticklers) object to "1.2 times faster", saying that it really means 2.2 times as fast (as fast + 1.2 times faster in addition, just as "20% faster" means "as fast + 20% as fast").

In everyday usage, however, "1.2 times faster" is taken to mean the same thing as "1.2 times as fast" (even by most technical people).

In any case, it is wiser to say "1.2 times as fast" to make sure you are understood.
 
As has been pointed out, this is a question of English usage, which is determined by social convention rather than strict logic. You will be understood to mean 1.2 times as fast whether you say 1.2 times faster or 20% faster.
 
A teacher has 3 hours to grade all the 35 papers. She gets through the first 5 papers in 30 minutes. How much faster does she have to work to grade the remaining papers in time? Will it be wrong if I say '' she has to be 1.2 times faster instead of 20% faster?''?

Going back to look at the question, "How much faster ...", I think you would better answer that by saying either "20% faster" or perhaps "2 papers per hour faster". The question doesn't distinguish between those possible answers, but does appear to be asking for a difference rather than a multiplier, if taken literally.

But still, any of those four answers does answer the question correctly.

Isn't English fun?
 
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