Translations in Word Problems
On the SAT math section, it will sometimes be required to "translate" English words into math. These types of problems require a person to translate word for word and also from left to right. While this is an easy section, test takers make mistakes by not taking their time to make sure they understand the problem completely.
Examples:
The sum of four times a number and 4
The square root of the quantity 4y + 7
| The word/phrase | Means |
|---|---|
| of/times/multiplied | • (multiply) |
| decreased by /difference/ less than | - |
| sum/more than | + |
| what/a number | x, n, y (a variable) |
| Percent | /100 |
| is/was/has | = |
| for/per | ÷ |
| the quantity | ( ) |
| squared/times itself | 2 |
When doing these questions it is vital to read from left to right and translate each and every word at every step of the problem. If any words are skipped or it is all done at once, there is a huge chance of a wrong answer.
"Less Than/Fewer than:"
While less than means subtract it can be tricky for some because it means the first number in the question will come second in the word problem on the test.
"Minus the product/Times the sum/etc:"
When a question asks for 5 times 3, it can be written as 5 * 3. However, some questions may ask for four times the sum of a set of numbers. In these cases, it is a matter of multiplying the number by the sum of the next word - using parentheses.
TIP: When confronted with a word problem it is a good idea to sit back and think about what the question is asking by thinking about it in a real sense. Also, reading the question to make sure no information is missed is very crucial when dealing with these types of problems and questions on the SAT math section.
For numbers that are "ugly," test takers should change the numbers until the problem is easier to understand. This seems like common sense - and it is - but many times someone taking the SAT math section will be confused or frustrated by large, complex or confusing numbers.
