Try to break the expression down into terms, then break those terms into factors.
Example Solution: 18 less than the product of 5 and x
Practice makes perfect
Our approach to representing the given algebraic expression verbally will be to break it down into terms, factors, and operations.
5x - 18
In 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
5x ⇔ 5* x
the product of 5 and x
-
less than
Now that we have translated each of the pieces, let's bring it all together.
5x - 18
18 less than the product of5andx
Please note that it is often possible to express the same algebraic operations in multiple ways, so our translation is only one the of multiple possible correct translations.
