The easy way to think about this is what number comes between 5 and 7? The answer is 6 (but we have to consider that it's negative in this case.) So the answer is -6 Another way to look at it is with a number line (not to "Which number is greater than -7 and less than -5"? scale.)<===(-7)==(-6)==(-5)==(-3)==(-2)==(-1)==(0)==(1)==>Notice how -6 comes between the two numbers. -6 is larger than -7 (it's "less negative" -- "Which number is greater than -7 and less than -5"? closer to zero) -6 is less than -5 (it's "more negative" -- further away from zero)