Multiple choice softskills communication A farmer had 17 sheep. All but 9 died. How many did he have left 9 8 17 0 Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself A Correct answer Explanation The answer is 9 sheep. 'All but 9 died' means 9 sheep survived. This is a classic trick question - people often try to subtract 9 from 17, getting 8, but the phrase 'all but 9' actually means '9 survived.' The 9 sheep are the ones that didn't die.