Lesson Twenty-Two
Addition and Subtraction in English
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addition or adding
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5
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+
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3
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=
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8
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five
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plus
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three
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equals
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eight
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2
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+
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2
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=
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4
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two
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and
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two
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is
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four
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Note: Some English books will use the plural verb “equal” or “are” for the equal sign (=). Grammatically, this is correct but most people use a singular verb.
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The teacher asks for the answer like this:
What’s two plus two? (use the singular verb for “be” — “is”)
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subtraction or subtracting
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5
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–
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3
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=
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2
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five
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minus
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three
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equals
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two
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10
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–
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7
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=
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3
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ten
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take away
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seven
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is
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three
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Note: The first example (using “minus”) is preferred over the second, but “take away” is popular.
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The teacher asks for the answer like this:
What’s five minus three?
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Of course, you know how to do math in your own language, but it’s important to practice in English. Here are some other ways to talk about addition and subtraction:
Addition:
- A: What do you get if you add six and eight together?
- B: You get 14.
- A: If you put two and two together, what do you get?
- B: You get four.
- A: If you add 20 to 30, what does that make?
- B: That makes 50.
The word “make” is often used when counting money.
Subtraction:
- A: What do you get if you subtract five from nine?
- B: You get four.
- A: How much do you have if you take three away from seven?
- B: You have four.
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