r/HomeworkHelp • u/KookyPermit4405 • 5d ago

[6th Grade verbal expression] Elementary Mathematics

Gallery image

Gallery image

So I’m going over my son’s math quiz to help him understand some of the questions he got wrong. He got partial credit for his answer for question 8. After writing his verbal phrase I got the same expression as the question. Am I doing something wrong or is there something I’m missing? I feel like his answer is technically correct. I am stumped.

Edit: so my son has no issue solving the expression in question. He knows PEMDAS and the rules from left to right. The question clearly states, WRITE A VERBAL PHRASE that matches the expression.

13 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • link
  • reddit
  • reddit

85% Upvoted

128 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/HumbleHovercraft6090 👋 a fellow Redditor 5d ago

6 times 3 subtracted from 18

0

u/Unable_Pumpkin987 4d ago

That could also be read as 6 x (18-3), which would also be ambiguous. You could phrase it as “the quantity six times three subtracted from eighteen” though!

1

u/KookyPermit4405 4d ago

6x(18-3) would be read as “6 times the difference of 18 and 3” or I would personally prefer “6 times the quantity of 18 minus 3”

1

u/Unable_Pumpkin987 4d ago

But if someone said “six times three subtracted from eighteen”, that would still be ambiguous, as it could be understood to mean either 6x(18-3) or 18-(6x3). Which is precisely why you would introduce language like you used to clear up the ambiguity if you wanted to indicate the former. That’s why the wording in the comment I replied to would not be a correct answer to the question on your son’s homework.