Question

Two less than five times a number is 28. what is the number

Answer 1

The number is 6 because five times 6 is 30, and 30 minus 2 is 28. You could also solve this backwards in the future and take 28 plus 2 and then divide that number by 5 (opposite of subtracting 2 is adding two, opposite of multiplying by five is dividing by 5). 

5x-2=28    (writing it this way might also help, because now you just have to solve for x)

Answer 2

2 less than (-2) 5 times a number (5x) is (=) 28 (28)
-2+5x=28
add 2 to both sides
5x=30
divide both sides by 5
x=6

the number is 6