Let the number be represented by \( x \).
According to the statement: "Half a number plus 9, is -7", we can translate this into the equation:
\[ \frac{x}{2} + 9 = -7 \]
Now, to solve for \( x \):
- Subtract 9 from both sides of the equation:
\[ \frac{x}{2} = -7 - 9 \] \[ \frac{x}{2} = -16 \]
- Multiply both sides by 2 to isolate \( x \):
\[ x = -16 \times 2 \] \[ x = -32 \]
Thus, the number is -32.
So the correct response is:
The number is -32.