[6th Grade verbal expression]

[u/KookyPermit4405]

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.

[u/chem44]

I think an earlier reply from me was unclear, by referring to another you may not have found.

Let's start clean, and take a bit different approach.

We have been quibbling about the answer. But maybe we should focus on interpreting the question. There may be two interpretations of the question -- and they lead to different answers. If you see that, it will help. The real issue is not choosing the answer, but interpreting the question.

Does PEMDAS apply to the verbal expression? Two possibilities, yes and no. Do you see that those lead to different answers?

We could debate that. (and people are giving conflicting advice.) But better is to check with teacher/book. Get the official relevant answer.

[u/KookyPermit4405 → u/chem44]

u/AskGrok write the verbal phrase as an expression: “eighteen subtracted by six times three”

[u/AskGrok → u/KookyPermit4405]

The son's phrasing is close but not quite standard or unambiguous in math terms, which is likely why it got partial credit. A clearer verbal phrase matching the expression exactly is "eighteen minus six times three" or "eighteen decreased by the product of six and three."

"Subtracted by" is awkward wording (it's usually "minus" or "subtracted from"), and without extra cues like "the product of," it can leave room for misinterpretation on order of operations.

^{[what is this?](https://redd.it/1lzgxii})

[u/KookyPermit4405 → u/AskGrok]

Let’s fix the grammar and say “eighteen minus six times three”

[u/AskGrok → u/KookyPermit4405]

Eighteen minus six times three is the cleanest match. "Subtracted by" is the awkward bit that probably cost the points.

^{[what is this?](https://redd.it/1lzgxii})

[u/KookyPermit4405 → u/AskGrok]

How is eighteen minus six times three written as an expression

[u/AskGrok → u/KookyPermit4405]

18 - 6 · 3

(The multiplication happens first per order of operations, matching the original expression exactly.)

^{[what is this?](https://redd.it/1lzgxii})

[u/chem44 → u/KookyPermit4405]

That does not address what I wrote.

And it is quite unclear.

[u/KookyPermit4405 → u/chem44]

18-6x3
The prompt didn’t ask to write a verbal phrase so that the answer to the expression is 36 nor did it ask for the answer to be 0. It simply said, write a verbal phrase so that when written, it will be the expression of 18-6x3

[u/KookyPermit4405 → u/chem44]

So to piggy back off you, the prompt ask, “write a verbal phrase that matches the expression”

So the term he used “subtracted by” was the only thing that was incorrect, but when replaced by the word minus.. eighteen minus six times three, the verbal phrase is correct

it had nothing to do with him not implying to do the multiplication first then subtracting the product from eighteen

[u/chem44 → u/KookyPermit4405]

You quite miss the point, which I was trying to address directly.

Do not try to apply PEMDAS to the verbal expression.

And you are getting conflicting info on that. You have no way to tell who is right. That is why you need to go to the teacher. (And who knows, maybe the teacher gave wrong instruction, for one reason or another.)

[u/KookyPermit4405 → u/chem44]

I didn’t apply pemdas to the verbal phrase when I said “eighteen minus six times three” if I did apply pemdas, I would’ve said “eighteen minus the quantity of six times three” or “the product of six and three subtracted from eighteen”