Question 1206699
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ANSWER (the grammatically correct one): 5w<br>
The phrase "... (some number) times OLDER THAN..." should NEVER be used in the statement of a math problem, because its grammatically correct meaning is NOT what nearly everyone thinks.  The statement of a math problem cannot be such that the given information can be interpreted incorrectly.<br>
If Gabor's age is w and his mother is 4 TIMES AS OLD AS Gabor, then her age is 4 times w, or 4w.<br>
But "4 times OLDER THAN Gabor" means Gabor's age, PLUS 4 MORE TIMES HIS AGE: w, plus 4w more; w+4w = 5w.<br>
Unfortunately, in sloppy everyday usage, 4 times OLDER THAN is nearly always meant to be 4 times AS OLD AS.<br>