Learn the 3-Step Method
1x first: go across.
The first number counts steps along the x-axis (the corridor).
2y second: go up.
The second number counts steps up the y-axis (the stairs).
3Write in brackets.
(3, 2) — brackets, comma, x before y. Order matters!
Worked Example
Three corners of a rectangle are (1, 1), (5, 1) and (5, 4). Find the fourth.
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
Order! Across first, up second — ‘along the corridor, then up the stairs’.
Start at 0! The origin (0, 0) is where the axes cross. Count grid lines from there, not from 1.
Careful! Coordinates name grid line crossings, not squares. The point sits where the lines cross.
⬇ Cheat Sheet
- (x, y) = (across, up).
- Start counting from the origin (0, 0).
- x first, y second — order matters.
- Brackets and a comma every time.
📖 Continue Your Journey
Quick summary
- Coordinates are written (x, y): across first, then up.
- Count from the origin (0, 0), along grid lines.
- (3, 2) and (2, 3) are different points.
- Missing rectangle corner: borrow x from one neighbour, y from the other.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read coordinates?
First number across (x), second number up (y) — remembered as 'along the corridor, then up the stairs'. So (3, 2) is 3 across and 2 up.
What is the origin?
The point (0, 0), where the x-axis and y-axis cross — all counting starts there.
How do you find a rectangle's missing corner?
Take the x-coordinate it shares with the corner above/below it, and the y-coordinate it shares with the corner beside it: (1,1), (5,1), (5,4) → (1,4).
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