What does quota mean?
Word: Quota
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Quota means a fixed share or number of something that a person or group is allowed to have, or is expected to produce.
Synonyms: share, allowance
Word origin: Comes from Medieval Latin quota, short for the phrase quota pars.
How do you spell quota?
Syllables: quo - ta
Tricky part: The u must come straight after the q, with the o after it. Students who think of words like sound swap them and write qouta.
Watch out for: qouta, kwota
Memory tip: Q is never without its u in English words like this one, so write qu first and the o after it.
Quota in a sentence
Example 1: Each class has a quota of ten tickets for the science show.
Example 2: The factory met its monthly quota of school bags two days early.
Example 3: My mother set a daily quota of thirty minutes of screen time.
Fun Fact
Indian Railways keeps special quotas of seats on its trains, such as the Tatkal quota for passengers who book at the last minute.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the misspelt word:
a) aquarium
b) quotta
c) equator
d) quiver
Show answer
b) quotta. Quota has a single t, so quotta carries an extra letter.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option:
Quota comes from the Latin phrase quota pars. What did quota pars mean?
a) the finest part
b) the final part
c) the broken part
d) how great a part
Show answer
d) how great a part. Quota pars asked how big a share was, which is exactly what a quota fixes.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with the word closest in meaning:
1. quota 2. haven 3. diligent a. allocation b. hard-working c. refuge
a) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
b) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A quota is an allocation, a haven is a refuge, and a diligent pupil is hard-working.
Word Champ
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
1. A sales team that sells exactly its quota has reached its target. 2. A quorum is the smallest number of members who must be present before a meeting can make decisions. 3. A quotient is the number you get when you multiply two numbers together.
a) only 1 and 2 are true
b) all three are true
c) only 3 is true
d) only 2 and 3 are true
Show answer
a) only 1 and 2 are true. A quotient comes from dividing, not multiplying, so statement 3 is false.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. If each house has a quota of five runners for the relay, which house breaks the rule?
a) a house that sends four runners
b) a house that sends six runners
c) a house that sends five runners
d) a house that sends three runners
Show answer
b) a house that sends six runners
2. When a library sets a quota of three books per student, it ___.
a) opens on only three days a week
b) asks each student to write three books
c) limits how many each student may borrow
d) charges three rupees for every book
Show answer
c) limits how many each student may borrow
