If three times the sum of eight and a number is sixty, then you need to break it down to write it out. First, we know we're multiplying 3 * (times) something. That something is 8 and a number, or x. So it'd be 8 + x. So we have 3 * (8 + x). And we know that equals 60, so we have 3 * (8 + x) = 60
