0

What does this "up by 6% over any previous year"?

Since 2019, Clarksville-Montgomery County has added over 6,000 new jobs and, even with the decline in travel from the pandemic, in the last 12 months hotel revenue is up by 6% over any previous year. https://clarksvillenow.com/local/clarksville-montgomery-county-small-town-feel-with-big-potential/

I posted the same question at another bulletin board, but I still don't get it, so let me post it here again and ask for other people's opinions, please.

Does this mean "6% higher than the previous highest year"?

I found the same sentence structure in another news site.

Milholland said last year all three markets brought in a total of $1.3 million in sales, an increase of 11 percent over any previous year. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/port-townsend-saturday-market-to-open-for-the-season/

Thank you.

Improve this question
0

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1

We may first reasonably assume that past revenue varied from year to year.

Arithmetically, the rise this year therefore cannot be 6% of each previous year. The sentence implies that it is 6% of any previous year.

Cambridge

Any:
one of or each of, or a stated amount of (something that is more than one or has a number of parts), without saying which particular part is meant

So which part (year) is meant in your example?

  • If the author had said “6% or more”, you would know arithmetically for sure that the 6% applied to the year with the highest revenue. The % increase for other years would be higher than 6.
  • If they had said “6% or less” you would know it applied to the lowest revenue year. The % increase for other years would be lower than 6.

The omission of more or less is at the root of your problem. Conventionally, and so as to avoid exaggerated statement that would come by comparing with the lowest revenue year, we understand the sentence to be setting a lower limit on the percentage rise, that is to understand it as “6% or more” and therefore the 6% to apply to the year that had the highest revenue.

I have analyzed it in my answer only so as to justify my understanding to you. But as a native speaker I would simply and instantly understand it as you suggest: "6% higher than (revenue in) the previous highest year" or "... the highest previous year".

Improve this answer
3
  • Thank you, Anton and jsw29. Your interpretation was quite clear. But what confuses me is native speakers have quite different interpretation of this phrase. Is this expression rare? Dou think this sentence structure is acceptable as decent English or marginally acceptable or incorrect?
    – Kosuke
    Commented Feb 23, 2022 at 11:26
  • @Kosuke Thanks. I have added to the answer so as to conclude with a more direct reply.
    – Anton
    Commented Feb 23, 2022 at 11:44
  • Thank you, Anton. I really appreciate it.
    – Kosuke
    Commented Feb 27, 2022 at 12:59
-1

It's an infelicity. Up by 6%... suggests an increase from the year before, but the comparison brings in all previous years, without specifying whether there have been increases and decreases in the comparison base.

If all previous years are included in the comparison, it should be expressed as
...6% higher than in any previous year. or ... 6% higher than ever before.

Improve this answer
6
  • Thank you, Jack O'Flaherty.
    – Kosuke
    Commented Feb 22, 2022 at 5:12
  • What do you think the writer meant? Is it the same as "up by 6% than the previous year and this big increase is the highest increase of all the previous years"?
    – Kosuke
    Commented Feb 22, 2022 at 5:14
  • @Kosuke The likeliest meaning is what I suggested above - 6% higher than the corresponding figure in any previous year. Your suggestion, ...6% higher than the previous highest year is equivalent to 6% higher than any prior year.
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Commented Feb 22, 2022 at 6:06
  • If they meant that the 6% increase was greater than any previous annual increase, they really need to find better words to say it.
    – Jack O'Flaherty
    Commented Feb 22, 2022 at 6:09
  • Thank you, Jack. I totally agree with your interpretation. The "higher than the previous highest year" interpretation was not mine, but by another native speaker. Thanks again.
    – Kosuke
    Commented Feb 22, 2022 at 6:17

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .