Question 334559
<pre><b>

<i>[The other tutor apparently was in a hurry and mistakenly read your 
"more than" as "times"]</i>

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"three more than the sum of <font color = "red">a number</font> and four"

Change the red words "<font color = "red">a number</font>" to a letter of your choice, say, <font color = "red">x</font>, and we have:

"three more than the sum of <font color = "red">x</font> and four".

Next change the blue words <font color = "blue">the sum of x and four</font>" in: 

"three more than <font color = "blue">the sum of x and four</font>".

to <font color = "blue">(x + 4)</font>

"three more than <font color = "blue">(x + 4)</font>".

Now we see that the green words "<font color = "green">three more than</font>"

"<font color = "green">three more than</font> (x + 4)".

are on the LEFT in English.  However, in algebra, to make something 'more',
we think of starting with the thing we are going to 'make more' and
then make it more by adding to it on the RIGHT. So we not only switch the 
blue words to "<font color = "green">+ 3</font>, but we also put it on the
RIGHT side. So we end up with

(x + 4)<font color = "green"> + 3</font>

Now you can simplify that by removing parentheses:

x + 4 + 3

and end up by adding the two number terms, getting

x + 7.

However your teacher may have wanted you to leave it unsimplified as

(x + 4) + 3.

Edwin</pre>