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Describe in words how to simplify a fraction to its reduced form:

Is this correct grammatically:

We divide the numerator and denominator of the fraction by their greatest common factor.

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    Yes, that makes grammatical sense. – DMcMor Feb 18 '21 at 18:52
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    A bit simpler: "Divide the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor." – David G. Stork Feb 18 '21 at 18:52
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    I'd say "divisor" instead of "factor", but anyway the grammar is ok – Exodd Feb 18 '21 at 18:53
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    That is among several possible steps which could be involved in simplifying a fraction. It doesn't cover cases like $\dfrac{1+3}{2}$ however where there is also simplifications which can be done such as adding in the numerator unrelated to factoring. It also does not help in the case that you are dealing with rational functions rather than just arithmetic since for instance $\dfrac{2(x+1)}{(x+1)}$ is different than $2$. Dividing by a function is not allowed in the event it could have been zero. – JMoravitz Feb 18 '21 at 18:54
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    To decide whether issues like the one that @JMoravitz alludes to are significant, it might be useful to say whether (for example) you are a student answering a teacher's question, a teacher answer a student's question, a student explaining something to another student, or what. And also whether you are primarily worried about grammar, clarity, precision, or what. – Brian Tung Feb 18 '21 at 19:59

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