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YOUR ANSWER: 13 > 9 + 5 is a true statement.
You must have the signs > and < confused. Both the signs > and < have an open end and a closed end. The open end is "wider" or "taller" or "greater" or "takes up more space" than the end which comes to a point. Thus, the open end is the "greater than" end and the closed end is the "less than" end.
Now, we read mathematical sentences from left to right in the same way we read grammatical sentences. So if one of the signs > or < appears in a mathematical sentence, we read the left end of the sign because it occurs first. The left end of the sign > is "greater than" the right end of the sign, so the whole sign is read "greater than." The left end of the sign < is " less than" the right end of the same sign, so the whole sign is read "less than."
Our mathematical sentence 13 > 9 + 5 is read "Thirteen is greater than (left end of the sign > is greater than right end) nine plus five." Now, nine plus five is fourteen, so thirteen is not greater than nine plus five, and the statement is false.
Now return to page 15 and choose the correct answer.