Breakdown of Il trenta per cento degli studenti scendono sotto la media.
lo studente
the student
di
of, from
trenta
thirty
cento
one hundred
scendere
to get off, to go down
sotto
under, below
per cento
per (in percentages)
la media
the average
Questions & Answers about Il trenta per cento degli studenti scendono sotto la media.
Why is the verb plural (scendono) when the subject is il trenta per cento?
Even though il trenta per cento is grammatically singular, the verb agrees with the plural noun that follows it (studenti). This is called concordanza a senso (agreement by sense). It is very common when a percentage or fraction is followed by di + a plural noun, because the speaker's mind is focused on the multiple people or things involved.
Would it be wrong to use the singular verb scende instead?
Not at all! Using the singular scende (agreeing strictly with the singular grammatical head, cento) is perfectly correct and is actually preferred in very formal or academic writing. The plural scendono is just more common in everyday spoken Italian or when emphasizing the individuals over the abstract number.
Why use degli studenti instead of just di studenti?
When talking about a percentage of a specific group, Italian requires the articulated preposition—in this case, di + gli = degli. You use the definite article because you are referring to a defined whole (e.g., the students in a specific class or school), which is almost always the case with percentages.
Is scendere the standard verb for "falling" in the context of averages?
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