Learn English – “1 + 1 should equal 2” or “1 + 1 should equal to 2”; which one is correct
mathematicsprepositions
Which of the following is correct?
1 + 1 should equal 2.
1 + 1 should equal to 2.
"equal" or "equal to"?
Best Answer
In maths, it's widely used the word equals.
Given the suggestions, 1 + 1 should be equal to 2 is the proper choice. Using equals is just 1 + 1 equals 2.
Now in maths, should is not used when we are sure about the result. After working long calculations and having in mind what's the expected result, we introduce should.
The is and or make the sentence literally true by the conventions of ordinary English.
It is quite a mouthful to say. Occasionally I hear people say “greater than equal” to hurry, omitting “is”, “or”, and “to”, but holding “than” a little long to give equal time to each of the three words. More commonly, though, people just get very good at saying “is greater than or equal to” very quickly.
Best Answer
In maths, it's widely used the word equals.
Given the suggestions, 1 + 1 should be equal to 2 is the proper choice. Using equals is just 1 + 1 equals 2.
Now in maths, should is not used when we are sure about the result. After working long calculations and having in mind what's the expected result, we introduce should.