Question

2) If Silas added 5 years to his age he would be 39. How old is Silas now? Write as an equation and solve.

Answer 1

He would be 34 years old, this equation represents it:
39-5=34
You set up the equation this way because if he added 5 years to his age that would be equivalent to +5, so to get his current age you just subtract five from 39

Answer 2

x + 5 = 39
-5 from both sides
x=39-5
x=34