Question

What is a word phrase you can use to represent the algebraic expression 3m?
5x+2?

Answer 1

3m = three times a number
5x+2= add 2 to the product of 5 and a number

Answer 2

3m could be written as "three times a number" or "a number times three".

5x + 2 could be "two plus the product of 5 and a number" or "five times a number plus 2"