Number

Question

Can I say,(a) Take away eight from twenty-nine. (b) Take away eight from number twenty-nine.(c) Take away eight from twenty-nine is twenty one.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

Only (a) is idiomatic.

Vincent Teo · Answer

Thanks.

Why this sentence is wrong?

(i) Take away eight from twenty-nine is twenty-one.

Can I say,

There is number thirty.

The number is thirty.

Avangi · Answer

Vincent Teo (i) Take away eight from twenty-nine is twenty-one. I can't say no one would ever say this. I'm sure it's used somewhere.

There are traditional patterns children use in practicing these things which are not particularly grammatical. In subtraction, the minuend (usually the larger number) is given first, but not always.

"twenty-nine take away eight is twenty-one." "twenty-nine minus eight is twenty-one." "eight from twenty-nine is / leaves twenty-one."

It's not uncommon to say, "Take away eight from twenty-nine, and the result / answer is twenty-one." "Take eight away from twenty-nine, and the answer is twenty-one."

These are grammatical nightmares, but if you start making up new ones it only gets worse.

There is number thirty. If you're pointing to it on the blackboard.

The number is thirty. Okay.

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