Translating “Less Than”

SAT Glossary

The translation error responsible for more wrong answers than any other line in the dictionary: '5 less than x' is x-5, not 5-x. English states the subtracted amount first; algebra requires the reverse. The asymmetry works as a trap because 'more than' commutes harmlessly, so students carry the habit of ignoring order into subtraction, where it is fatal.

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is $x-5$, not $5-x$. English states the subtracted amount first; algebra requires the reverse. The asymmetry works as a trap because 'more than' commutes harmlessly, so students carry the habit of ignoring order into subtraction, where it is fatal.","section":"Mathematics","source":"KomFi SAT vF - Chapter 29: Translating Words into Equations","necessity":4,"learnMore":"This is one of the most common English-to-algebra translation traps on the whole test: the phrase '5 less than $x

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means $x-5$, NOT $5-x$ — even though it might feel backwards at first. In plain English, we state the amount being subtracted FIRST ('5 less than...'), but in algebra, the order has to flip, with $x$ coming first and 5 being subtracted from it second. This trips people up because a similar phrase, 'more than,' actually works fine either way you read it ('5 more than $x

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or '$x$ plus 5' both mean the same thing, since addition doesn't care about order) — so people get used to not worrying about order, and then that same careless habit becomes fatal when subtraction (which absolutely DOES care about order) shows up instead.","aliases":[],"topic":"Reading & Writing","priority":"supporting","learningStage":"intermediate","prerequisiteIds":["Rhetorical synthesis","Command of evidence (textual)"],"questionCount":3,"id":"Translating “Less Than”","courseId":"sat","publicSeo":true,"seoSlug":"translating-less-than-1lf4ag"}

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KomFi Academy is free GMAT prep and personalized GMAT help built as a training platform: 75,000+ practice questions, 26,500+ flashcards, on-demand video lectures, podcasts, and 4K slide decks. Flagship tracks: Free GMAT Prep, Free GMAT Resources, National Real Estate Exam Prep, Investment Banking Prep, Finance Prep, GRE, SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, Financial Accounting, Private Equity, Private Credit, and Quantitative Finance.

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