In an ordered pair, the x-coordinate comes first and the y-coordinate comes second.
Practice makes perfect
In an ( x, y) ordered pair, the first number shows the x-coordinate and the second number shows the y-coordinate.
x-coordinate
To graph ( - 2, 1), we first find -2 on the x-axis and make a mental note of this grid line. The x-coordinate -2 tells us to move two units left.
y-coordinate
Next, we find 1 on the y-axis and follow this grid line until it intersects with the grid line from our x-coordinate. The y-coordinate 1 tells us to move one unit up.
The point ( - 2, 1) lies on the point at which these two grid lines intersect.
