how is the sentence "12 less than x is four" written as an equation?

x - 12 = 4

To write the sentence "12 less than x is four" as an equation, we can translate "12 less than x" into mathematical notation. The phrase "less than" typically means subtraction. Therefore, "12 less than x" can be written as "x - 12". Finally, we add the phrase "is four" to the equation, which means the expression should equal 4. Putting it all together, the equation is:

x - 12 = 4