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Secondary education

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Original poster

Wording of maths question?

31 replies

glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 09:41

My son has just asked me for help with his maths questions. Now, I am not amazing at maths but this question looks like it is written wrong📧

Write a number that is bigger that 5- but smaller than 6.

(weird to have the minus after the 5?)

Second questions:

Now write a number that is bigger than 5.6 but smaller than 5-.

The minus's after the numbers are confusing and the 5.6 is actually written on the paper with the dot not sitting on the line.

Am I thicker than I thought? I can't make any sense of this!
I've googled it and everything!

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 11/09/2022 09:44

The 2nd question in particular makes no sense. Dont know why there are '-' signs after numbers either

AnImaginaryCat · 11/09/2022 09:50

Are they handwritten or in a work book?

Don't get why the minus will be after the number. Makes me wonder if it is a minus! If it is the the first question makes sense but the second doesn't. If it isn't the the second question makes sense but the first doesn't.

With the decimal point not being on the line. Don't think that's too weird - along as it's between the numbers!!

dementedpixie · 11/09/2022 09:53

Could you post a picture of the questions?

Original poster
glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 09:53

The question in typed out, not handwritten. I am usually able to explain maths questions to my son but stumped at this!

OP posts:
Original poster
glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 09:57

Here it is

Wording of maths question?
OP posts:
CatSpeakForDummies · 11/09/2022 10:01

What age is your DS? That might help us guess the level we're looking at.

It doesn't make sense, the first appears too easy and the second too much of a trick question to be parts of the same thing.

Is there a chance it refers to 5 or 6 in an earlier question or on a graph or something?

O11 · 11/09/2022 10:01

First one I read as a dash so straightforward, answer is any number between 5 and 6

Second one makes no sense whatsoever

Original poster
glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 10:02

It's an entirely separate question unrelated to any of the previous questions. He is year 8.

OP posts:
Original poster
glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 10:04

@CatSpeakForDummies We wondered if it was a dash but then it's not great to use a dash instead of a comma in a maths question where it can be misunderstood.

OP posts:
Tort · 11/09/2022 10:06

Second question makes no sense of it’s a dash or if it’s a minus does it?

IStandWithMaya · 11/09/2022 10:08

Following with interest!

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 11/09/2022 10:09

I think these are dashes, not minus signs, though why there's one at the end of the second question isn't clear.

'Bigger' and 'smaller' don't really make sense if you're talking about negative numbers. You would use 'greater' or 'less than' if you meant to talk about their relative positions on the number line. You'd use modulus if you meant how far they were from zero. Bigger and smaller could be interpreted as either of these.

Don't forget that not all numbers are integers - integers are whole numbers but anything in between the whole numbers is a number as well.

Ifailed · 11/09/2022 10:13

If this is just about the use of a decimal point, I'd be surprised if it was been taught in year 8, that's the sort of stuff that is covered in primary school.

Original poster
glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 10:16

@Ifailed No, the question isn't about the placement of the decimal place. That is just me being picky i.e they should have placed the decimal point on the line. Also, if the dash on question one before the word is in place of a comma....how stupid? Why put a dash in a maths question near a number where it can be misconstrued?

OP posts:
QueenMabby · 11/09/2022 10:16

I showed this to dd (year 9 - very good at maths) and she didn't understand it.

Ds (year 12 - doing A-level maths) said to write WTF in the answer space, but that's not very helpful either!

Original poster
glowydewyface · 11/09/2022 10:19

@QueenMabby I'm glad your children thought the same! I glanced through the rest of his homework and he has got the other questions but has no idea what to do with this one!

OP posts:
ldontWanna · 11/09/2022 10:20

The second one makes no sense.

For the first pick something like 5.3 . It works both ways.

Ifailed · 11/09/2022 10:21

@glowydewyface, what I meant is it seems quite a trivial question for year 8 maths?

NotQuiteHere · 11/09/2022 10:25

The dash there is a fraction bar, with numerator and denominator of the fraction lost in printing.

CatherinedeBourgh · 11/09/2022 10:25

I would have assumed that the 5.6 and the 5- referred to something else, e.g. the answers to the questions 5 and 5.6.

CatherinedeBourgh · 11/09/2022 10:26

NotQuiteHere · 11/09/2022 10:25

The dash there is a fraction bar, with numerator and denominator of the fraction lost in printing.

ah, that makes sense!

CatherinedeBourgh · 11/09/2022 10:27

Maybe it was supposed to be 5 3/4?

LizzieMacQueen · 11/09/2022 10:27

NotQuiteHere · 11/09/2022 10:25

The dash there is a fraction bar, with numerator and denominator of the fraction lost in printing.

@NotQuiteHere has cracked it. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnanimouse · 11/09/2022 10:35

@NotQuiteHere is correct. It's exactly question 17 on this Y9 paper with the fractions missing.

www.satspapers.org/KS3%20Tests/KS3%20optional%20SATS/KS3%20Year%209%20Maths%20SAT%202010/KS3%20Year%209%20Maths%20SAT%202010%20Paper%202%20-%20level%204-6.pdf

I guess the teacher has typed it out meaning to handwrite in the fractions and forgot.

dementedpixie · 11/09/2022 10:38

The link doesn't work for me

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