Forty percent of prepayment

[Rachel Adams]

I am confused about the use of the indefinite article before "forty" and "of"? Is each sentence correct?


1. "We require forty percent prepayment".

2. "We require a forty percent prepayment".

3. "We require a forty percent of prepayment."

4. "We require forty percent of prepayment."

 

[GoesStation]

I'd use 2 but I'd write 40%.

Three and four are incorrect. Number one is unclear.

 

[probus]

Most natural to me is

5. We require a prepayment of 40%.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't think "prepayment" is used much in BrE. We usually use "deposit" or "down payment".

We require a 40% deposit.
We require a 40% down payment.

The terms are used when you have to pay a certain amount of money up front in order to secure something; the balance is payable at a later date but before you actually receive the product.

I tend to associate "prepay" with things like a "prepaid credit card". That's when you load money onto a card and you can then use the card to spend any amount up to the total available.

 

[Yankee]

If the charge was, for example, $100, 1. & 2. would require a $40 prepayment and either would be OK. But in 3. & 4. you or the organization/business have not determined the prepayment, and with "of" it would be unlikely that a portion of the total cost would be discounted

 

[Rachel Adams]

I'd use 2 but I'd write 40%.

Three and four are incorrect. Number one is unclear.

I was wondering why my sentences with "of" are incorrect.
"A deposit of ten percent is correct but these below are not.

3. "We require a forty percent of prepayment."

4. "We require forty percent of prepayment."

 

[tedmc]

I was wondering why my sentences with "of" are incorrect.
"A deposit of ten percent is correct but these below are not.

3. "We require a forty percent of prepayment."

4. "We require forty percent of prepayment."

"Forty-percent (with hyphen)" serves as an adjective to modify "prepayment". The preposition should not be there.

 

[GoesStation]

This is fine: We require a prepayment of 40%. You'll notice that it follows the pattern of your model sentence. Sentences 3 and 4 don't.