help - a quarter or one quarter

[purlease]

I'm writing a report based on a survey of consumers. Instead of always writing percentages I want to refer to a/one third or a/one half or a/one quarter of respondents.
Should I use 'a' or 'one'?

Thanks

i would say a third or a half

but then i did have a baby 8 months ago so my brain doesn't always function properly

I would say a quarter.

One quarter.

As in 'one quarter of one percent' as they say in the fincial reports.

A bit clumsy perhaps, but accurate.

HTH

I'm in the'one' camp but my colleage who is proofing the report is in the 'a' camp.

My argument is that if it was 66% it would be referred to as two thirds so for consistency 33% should be one third.

Oh my god, I have made spelling and spacing errors in the pedants' corner - a fear I always have posting here

Any other views as we have two people for each approach at the moment?

I would say a third but would most likely use one third in a professional written report.

It's supposed to be a professional document but as it is the last project I do before going on maternity leave, standards could potentially slip.

Why don't you write it as a fraction instead of in words? Then whoever is reading it can make up their own mind. But if you have to use words I would go for 'one' rather than 'a'.