Mathematical

Language and Symbols

JAYSON N. PAYLA, LPT, MSC.
Learning Outcome

At the end of lesson, you are expected to:

 Discuss the language, symbols and conventions of mathematics
 Explain the nature of mathematics as a language
 Perform operations on mathematical expressions correctly
 Convert English expressions to mathematical sentence
 Convert mathematical sentence to English expressions
 Convert algebraic sentences to English expressions and
 Explain that mathematics is a useful language
Conversion of English Expressions to
Mathematical Sentences
We begin by describing the basic mathematical operations in the English Language.
There are 5 basic operations in the mathematics excluding exponentiation.

Symbols / Operations Basic English Terms

= Equals, is equal to, represents, is the same as , is , is equivalent to, exactly, results in

+ Plus, sum, total, added to, added with, added by, augmented, raised, more, more than, and,
increased, put together
- Minus, difference, subtracted from, subtracted by, diminished, less , less than, decreased,
separated
* , () Times, product , multiplied by, multiplied with, multiplied to, doubled, tripled, twice, thrice

/, Divided by, quotient, per, ratio, halved, over, over all

Basic Mathematical English Translations
Statements

3 +4 = 7 • Three plus four equals seven Common errors:

• Three plus four is equal to seven Three plus four is equals to seven
• Three increased by four is seven

10-2 = 8 • Ten minus two is eight Common errors:

• Ten less two is eight Ten less than two is eight
• Two less than ten is equal to eight

7(2) = 14 • Seven times two is fourteen Common errors:

• The product of seven and two is fourteen Double the seven is fourteen
• Twice the number seven is fourteen

6 /2 =3 • Six divided by two is three Common errors:

• The quotient of six and two is three The quotient of two and six is three
• The ratio of six and two is equal to three

• The sum of six and two all over four is two

• The ratio of six plus two, and four is equal to two
• Two is the quotient when the sum of six and two is divided by four.
2(12-4) = 16 • Twice the difference of twelve and four is sixteen
• The product of two and twelve less two is sixteen.
 Conversion of Algebraic Expressions to
English Sentences
 By applying this concept to algebra, we use the English translation of the variable
x as “the number” or “a number”.
Algebraic Statements English Translations

2x =14 • Twice a number is equal to fourteen

• Two times a number is fourteen

3(2x – 1) =4 • Thrice the difference of twice a number and one is four

• Three, multiplied to the difference of twice a number and one , is four

• The ratio of twice the sum of a number and one, and three is equal to five.
Exercises
Basic Mathematical English Translations
Statements

12+1 = 13

3(8) = 24

3 (11- 5) =18
Exercises
Algebraic Statements English Translations

12x =10-2

3x = 5 -2x

5 – 4z = 2( 2x-3)
Decimal Number System
Exercises
Basic Mathematical English Translations
Statements

12.0012+1 = 13x

3(8) = 24.000000123x

3 (11- 5) =18.343525z
Basic Mathematical Statements English Translations

The sum of a number and four is twelve

The difference of twice a number and eleven is fifty

The ratio of a number and 2, diminished by 5 is thirteen

The quotient of a number less five, and four is eleven

Sixty percent of a number is fifteen