[General] Thirty take away six

[Silverobama]

Hi.

When I was young, my teacher taught me to say "Thirty minus six leaves twenty-four". Today I read a sentence "Thirty take away six leaves twenty four".

Are they both natural?

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes. For me, the terminology you would use with a child would be "adding [up] and taking away". With adults, it would be "addition and subtraction". The same sort of difference can be found in using "times" (we learn our "times table") with kids, but "multiplied by" with older children and adults. The only basic calculation that doesn't seem to have a child-friendly version is "division".

 

[Silverobama]

I still have one question.

Can I write the sentence as "30 take away 6 leaves 24"?

 

[GoesStation]

I still have one question.

Can I write the sentence as "30 take away 6 leaves 24"?

The verb is takeaway.​

 

[GoesStation]

The same sort of difference can be found in using "times" (we learn our "times table") with kids, but "multiplied by" with older children and adults.

"Times" is not juvenile in American English. "Multiplied by" isn't used much.

The only basic calculation that doesn't seem to have a child-friendly version is "division".

Here, the simpler version is the adult/older child one. I'd say "ten divided by two" for a child, and (usually) "ten over​ two" for an adult or older child.

 

[emsr2d2]

Hi.

When I was young, my teacher taught me to say "Thirty minus six leaves twenty-four". Today I read a sentence "Thirty take away six leaves twenty four".

Are they both natural?

Sorry, I realised that I misread your post. You were taught "minus" as a child but I said "take away" is more suitable for children. That is still my opinion but I failed to notice that you were taught the other one!

 

[emsr2d2]

We used to speak of such calculations as /gəzɪntəz/.

Six goes into thirty five times.

Reminds me of a gazunder.

 

[emsr2d2]

A rather potty comment.

I just thought I'd add a wee something to the discussion.

 

[Rover_KE]

The only basic calculation that doesn't seem to have a child-friendly version is "division".

Many teachers use 'share' with young children.

10 shared by 5 is 2.

 

[GoesStation]

Many teachers use 'share' with young children.

10 shared by 5 is 2.

That's distressing.

 

[GoesStation]

That's distressing.

OK, it makes sense in this context: “There are 82 pieces of candy to be shared by 4 people ...."