What happened (reader question answered)
A reader asked whether “into” should be used in multiplication expressions, for example whether one should say “7 into 20 is 140.” The answer distinguishes standard English usage from everyday practice in Indian English and explains how native speakers typically frame multiplication versus division.
Correct standard English pattern for multiplication
For multiplication, standard English typically uses either of these patterns:
- “X times Y makes …” (structure: product description) - “X times Y is …” (structure: equality statement) - “X multiplied by Y is …” (explicit multiplication verb)
Why “into” is treated differently in standard English
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