increase 3 times <vs> increase by 3 time (2025)

Two increased three times means that it was increased once, then again, then again.

Two increased by three times means that it is now six.

Two increased once = 4
Two increased twice = 6
Two increased three times = 8

Two increased by three times = 6 because 2 x 3 = 6

I don't get it, PaulQ.

For example: The price of fuel increased three times this month, but it did not go from two dollars to eight dollars (fictitious figures, naturally ).

SwissPete said:

I don't get it, PaulQ.For example: The price of fuel increased three times this month, but it did not go from two dollars to eight dollars (fictitious figures, naturally ).

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it seems your interpretation of "3 times" is acceptable, but i also found some exceptions. Here are two news headlines i found on google: 'Truck center, new building to increase 3-4 times' ,' LG expect its smartphone sales to increase 4times in 2011' .

SwissPete said:

I don't get it, PaulQ.

For example: The price of fuel increased three times this month, but it did not go from two dollars to eight dollars (fictitious figures, naturally ).

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Hello!
If the price of fuel was 3$ last month, and the price of fuel increased 3 times this month, then what's the exact price of fuel this month? 9$? or 12$?
How about "the price of fuel increased by 3 times this month"?
And "the price of fuel increased to 3 times"?
Are these 3 sentences of the same meaning?
Thank you!

I agree with SwissPete's answers from 2011. Saying that the price of fuel increased three times says absolutely nothing about how much it increased, just that there were three increases of some amount.

If you say "the price of fuel increased to three times," I think you have to add what it is three times of: "The price of fuel increased this month to three times its price in December."

I would not say "increased by three times" under any circumstances I can think of.

If I were actually saying this, I would go with the unambiguous "The price of fuel tripled [or quadrupled, whatever you actually mean] this month."

Hi, pob14. Thanks for your reply.

Actually, I'm trying to figure out the answer to a question.

There is such a sentence in the passage I read: "The number of Chinese students studying in the United States has almost tripled in the past decade."

The question is "How many times has the number of Chinese students studying in the United States increased compared to ten years ago?"

I was given two choices "3 times" and "twice". Which is the right answer?

Thanks, Andygc.

English learners in China are often frustrated with such questions.

An English grammar book for Chinese students gives us 4 sentences as examples:
1) The output of chemical fertilizer has been increased 6 times as against 2000.
2) The output of chemical fertilizer has been increased by 6 times as against 2000.
3) The output of chemical fertilizer has been increased to 6 times as against 2000.
4) The output of chemical fertilizer has been increased by a factor of 6 as against 2000.
It says these four sentences mean the same to native speakers of English.

Is that true?

We are really confused, because some of our teachers said "

As AndyGC told you it was a bad question. Actually, it was worse than bad. It was impossible. Execrable, in fact.

The examples you present as "correct" are terrible.

As you will see if you search previous posts here, there's general confusion involving "increased by," because frequent usage often defies mathematical precision.

I think that the examples are trying to say "The output of chemical fertilizer is six times that of the year 2000." (or maybe not. The examples are inconsistent)Mathematically, 6 x (six times as great) is not the same as X + 6X (six times greater)

Unfortunately, we see many examples of learning materials inflicted upon students by incompetent people, who would have one believe they are competent in English when they are not even close..

We have sympathy for you, but that doesn't help much.

Best of luck