minus

Everyday

1. Minus means take away. 7 minus 3 is 4. tree →
2. The sign for minus is −. tree →
3. Minus before a number means below zero: minus 5 degrees. tree →
4. A minus is a bad point, a disadvantage: «pluses and minuses». tree →
5. After a grade, minus means a bit lower: B minus. tree →

In the lessons

the word for subtraction; also a negative number, as in minus 5 degrees; in everyday life temperatures and grades; phrases «plus or minus», «minus sign», «pluses and minuses»

Examples

• What is 10 minus 4? tree →
• 15 minus 6 equals 9. tree →
• The temperature was minus 3 degrees. tree →
• Twenty minus eight is twelve. tree →
• Write a minus sign between the numbers. tree →
• I got a B minus on my spelling test. tree →
• One minus of the trip is the long drive. tree →
• Count down: 3, 2, 1, 0, minus 1. tree →

Note

A direct clue: subtract the number after it from the number before it. Order matters: 10 minus 4 is not 4 minus 10. Trap: «minus 3 degrees» is a temperature below zero, not a subtraction. The answer to a minus sum is the difference.