# What is the answer to #9 on my daughter's math homework? Third grade, still. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169 "2018-05-14T23:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169/61 "2018-05-18T00:24:03Z")
Well, I’m glad that those report cards explain what it means, at least. I can picture myself as an angry parent, taking a test paper filled with check marks back to some poor teacher, saying “Why did you give my kid an F? Look at all these correct answers!” 🙂 This thread has really been an eye-opener. Left to my own devices, I would never guess that a check mark means “wrong.” This knowledge has shaken me to my very core! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169/62 "2018-05-18T00:43:53Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > Well, I’m glad that those report cards explain what it means, at least. I can picture myself as an angry parent, taking a test paper filled with check marks back to some poor teacher, saying “Why did you give my kid an F? Look at all these correct answers!” 🙂 You joke, but it’s pretty clear as _usually_ (as **Doug K** states) teachers only mark wrong answers. So context makes it pretty obvious. Similarly, in college, I also had some teachers who circled wrong answers. To me, circling carries more a connotation of something being right than wrong, but it was pretty easy to figure out that some meant it to mean, like a check mark, “hey, pay attention to this one!” (because it was incorrect, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169/63 "2018-05-18T02:31:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > To me, circling carries more a connotation of something being right than wrong If you’re proofreading a page of text, do you circle the misspellings, or the correct spellings? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169/64 "2018-05-18T02:32:37Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If you’re proofreading a page of text, do you circle the misspellings, or the correct spellings? You can check 'em, too, and they accomplish the same thing. That’s exactly my point. Context. A check just says “look at me!” ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2018, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169/65 "2018-05-19T21:42:25Z")
I hate, hate, **HATE** math problems that play games with the definition of the problem.It’s like a damn “three wishes” story where no matter what you wish for there’s an interpretation that screws you. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169/68 "2019-02-10T01:12:11Z")
> [@HennaSmith](#): > > I have been never good in math. I always took help from( link removed ) and luckily I always got good grades. reoorted for spam [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-answer-to-9-on-my-daughters-math-homework-third-grade-still/814169.md?page=3)