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La proporzione cala, infatti il dieci per cento dei clienti sono assenti.

La proporzione cala, infatti il dieci per cento dei clienti sono assenti.
The proportion is dropping, in fact ten percent of the clients are absent.
From Lesson 464:Agreement with percentages (il 30% sono...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about La proporzione cala, infatti il dieci per cento dei clienti sono assenti.

Why does this sentence use the plural sono assenti when the subject is the singular il dieci per cento?
This is a great example of agreement by sense (concordanza a senso). When a singular percentage or fraction is followed by di plus a plural noun (like dei clienti), it is perfectly correct and very common to make the verb and adjectives plural. You are agreeing with the plural reality of the people rather than the strict grammar of the singular percentage. Using the singular è assente would also be grammatically correct, but less natural here.
Is cala (from calare) the best verb to use for a dropping proportion?
Yes, calare is widely used for quantities, prices, temperatures, or levels going down. It is a more advanced, natural-sounding alternative to always relying on scendere (to go down) or diminuire (to decrease).
Why is there an article before dieci per cento?
In Italian, percentages always require a definite article. Because you are treating the percentage as a singular noun block based on the word cento, you will use the masculine singular article il (or l' before vowels, like l'otto per cento).
Does infatti mean exactly the same thing as the English 'in fact'?
It translates to 'in fact', but beware of a subtle difference: Italian uses infatti strictly to confirm, justify, or give evidence for what was just said. Here, the clients being absent proves that the proportion is dropping. Unlike in English, you cannot use infatti to introduce a contrast or correction (like saying 'actually'). For that, you would need to use invece or in realtà.

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