I was reading a research report and found this sentence: "The survey enjoyed a 64% response rate." Now, I have read a lot of research in my day, and I have never seen this wording. Can an inanimate object "enjoy" something? Is this correct?

quote:

"The survey enjoyed a 64% response rate."

It's academic shorthand for "The survey had a 64% response rate, which is actually quite good, don't you think?"

I've seen enjoyed used that way - usually by people with a poor grasp of the language such as politicians and survey-takers (survey taking politicians are the worst).

I have another problem with it. I don't like the use of % and rate together. I would say "a 64 % response".

Interesting, Bob. I see response rates used all the time with percentages. But of course you are right. Now I worry that sometime I have misused it myself!

Rather worse is a sentence like, "The percentage pass rate was 75%." I see that all the time.