Try to break the expression down into terms, then break those terms into factors.
Example Solution: 10 less than a number x
Practice makes perfect
Our approach to representing the given algebraic expression verbally will be to break it down into terms and operations.
x - 10In this expression, one term is being subtracted from another term. Let's break it down into more digestible pieces. To write a verbal phrase for an algebraic expression, we must represent each piece of the expression in words. This will require translating the subtraction as less than.
Algebraic Term
Verbal Translation
x
a number x
-
less than
Now that we have translated each of the pieces, let's bring it all together.
x - 10
10 less than a numberx
Please note that it is often possible to express the same algebraic operations in multiple ways, so our translation is only one of the multiple possible correct translations.
