Subject grammar profiles

Math

Math language is compact. Small words carry precise meaning, and word problems pack a lot into long noun phrases.

Prepositions of position and quantity

Why it matters

Words like above, between, per and out of change the meaning of a problem completely.

Sentence frame

___ out of ___ students chose ___.

Strategies that help

Comparatives

Why it matters

Comparing quantities is at the heart of many problems: greater than, twice as many, fewer than.

Sentence frame

___ is ___ times as ___ as ___.

Strategies that help

Conditionals

Why it matters

Rules, patterns and proofs are often written as if sentences.

Sentence frame

If ___, then ___.

Strategies that help

Dense noun phrases in word problems

Why it matters

Phrases such as the total cost of three tickets for the evening show hide the key quantity inside a long phrase.

Sentence frame

The ___ of ___ is ___.

Strategies that help