Most common word problems

Step 1 – Read through the problem at least three times. The first reading should be a quick scan, and the next two read­ings should be done slowly to find answers to these ques­tions:

What does the problem ask? (Usually located at the end)

Mark all information and underline all important words or phrases.

Step 2 – Draw a picture.  Use arrows, circles, lines, whatever works for you.   This makes the problem real.

A favorite word problem is something like, 1 train leaves Station A travelling at 100 km/hr and another train leaves Station B travelling at 60 km/hr. …

Draw a line, the two stations, and the two trains at either end.

Depending on the question, make a table with a blank portion to show information you don’t know.

Step 3 – Assign a single letter to represent each unknown.

You may want to note the unknown that each letter represents so you don’t get confused.

Step 4 – Translate the information into an equation.

Remember that the main problem with word problems is that they are not expressed in regular math equations. Your ability to identify correctly the variables and translate the information into an equation determines your ability to solve the problem.

Step 5 – Check the equation to see if it looks like regular equations that you are used to seeing and whether it looks sensible.

Does the equation appear to represent the informa­tion in the question? Take note that you may need to rewrite some formulas needed to solve the word problem equation.

Step 6 – Use algebra rules to solve the equation.

Simplify each side of the equation by removing parentheses and combining like terms.

Use addition or subtraction to isolate the variable term on one side of the equation.  If a number crosses to the other side of the equation, the sign changes to the opposite — for example positive to negative.

Use multiplication or division to solve for the variable.  What you to once side of the equation you must do for the other.

Where there are multiple unknowns you will need to use elimination or substitution methods to resolve all the equations.

Step 7 – Check your final answers to see if they make sense with the information given in the problem.

For example, if the word problem involves a discount, the final price should be less or if a product was taxed then the final answer has to cost more.

Microsoft Word is one of the most renowned applications used by millions of worldwide users to write, edit and save documents. However, this MS Word application is not free from errors. Microsoft is always trying very hard to fix the Microsoft Word issues that are being reported.

This article describes how to troubleshoot various MS Word issues that may commonly occur when you use the Word program. Some common Word errors are listed below:

Common Microsoft Word Issues/ Errors
1. Issue While Trying To Open A Word File
2. Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working
3. Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing
4. Frozen Microsoft Word Application
5. Corrupt/ Damaged MS Word File

Important Word document corrupted? A Windows repair tool can fix corrupt or damaged Word files, but it’s a question of reliability. You can make use of Remo Repair Word, an advanced Word file repairing utility that works effectively in repairing severely corrupt word documents in just three clicks. Compatible with all the latest versions of the Windows operating system including Windows 10 and supports fixing corrupted Word files created on MS Word 2019,  2013, 2010, 2007, 2003, etc.

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MS Word Issue 1: Word experienced an error trying to open the file

The error “Word experienced an error trying to open the file” is encountered if any third party application has altered or changed the Word document while transferring. As a result of this Word issue, your Word file cannot be opened

How to fix Word experiencing an error trying to open the file?

Method 1: Unblock Word file  

  1. Right-click the Word file which is showing an error while trying to open it.
    open MS Word to troubleshoot Windows problem

  2. Click on the Properties option. 
  3. Now, click Unblock and then hit OK.
    Note: If your Word file is properly-working then, it would not show the Unblock option. 

If you still experience this MS Word problem while trying to open the Word file, then follow the next method.

Method 2: Add a new Trusted Location

  1. Move your Word file that is showing an error to a different folder or drive.
  2. Open the Word file that is showing an error and click the File tab.
  3. Select Options and then choose Trust Center.
    fix MS Word issues

  4. Now, click on the Trust Center Settings button and then click on Trusted Locations.
    new Trusted Location to fix MS Word error

  5. Click on the Add new location button and select your folder or drive location where you have recently moved your Word files and then click OK.
  6. Now, again click OK to confirm.

Note — If you are wondering how to show formatting marks on your Word document, click here.

MS Word Issue 2: Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working

It might seem scary when you realize that Microsoft Word has stopped working on your Windows 10. Microsoft Word has stopped working or Microsoft Outlook not working are some of the most common problems that users regularly report due to third-party applications or obsolete device drivers. Make use of the below reliable methods to fix this Word stopped working issue for free.

How to fix Microsoft Word Has Stopped Working?

Method 1: Update Microsoft Word application

  1. Open the Word application and click on the File tab.
  2. Click on the Account option and then click on Update Options.
    Microsoft Word Has Stopped error resolved
  3. Click on the Update Now button.
    fix word issue
  4. Once your word application becomes updated to date, then you can start using it.
    Update Microsoft Word application

Method 2: Disable add-ins

Before you disable add-ins, it is recommended to open Word application in safe mode, to do so follow the below steps;

  1. Press Windows Key + R at once.
  2. Paste winword /safe in the Open box of the Run window and press OK.

If your Word application does work in the safe mode, then the problem is not with the add-ins. At such times, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Word.

If your Word application works properly in the safe mode, then disable the add-ins one at a time.

To disable ads-ins;

  1. Open Word file (which is still in the safe mode)
  2. Click the File tab and then select Options.
  3. Select the Add-ins option and hit the Go button.
    Disable add-ins
  4. Now, uncheck the available add-ins one at a time and Restart the Windows PC.
  5. Repeat this process until all the add-ins which are causing the Word application to stop are not disabled or your Word application starts working.

If disabling the add-ins doesn’t fix Word has stopped working issue then, follow the below reliable method.

Method 3. Update Windows

  1. Press Windows key + I at once to open Windows settings.
  2. Select Update & Security and click on Windows Update.
    Update Windows to fix MS Word issues

  3. If updates are available as you see in the above image, then they should be automatically installed on your Windows. If not, then select Check online for updates from Microsoft Update.
  4. Now, restart your PC and start working on Word without any problem.

MS Word Issue 3: Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing

Whenever you open a Word file to read or write, it might either show you an error saying “We’re sorry, but Word has run into an error that is preventing it from working correctly. Word will need to be closed as a result. Would you like us to repair now?”. Sometimes Word crashes after opening without any error?

These Microsoft Word issues could be due to various reasons starting from corrupt Word files to cache. However, sometimes this issue doesn’t get solved permanently even after you open your Word in safe mode or uninstall and reinstall the Word application.

How to fix Microsoft Word Keeps Crashing?

Method 1: Repair Microsoft Office application

  1. Click Windows key + I to Open Windows Settings.
  2. Now, click on the Apps and Apps and features option.
  3. Now select Microsoft Office Professional or Word (if it is available) and click the Modify button.
    select Microsoft Office Professional or Word to repair

  4. Select Quick Repair if you want to fix the Word that keeps crashing without the internet or select Online Repair which repairs everything using the internet and then, click the Repair button.
    Repair Microsoft Office application

If your Word still crashes after you open a Word file, then this could be due to Word file corruption, which can be easily fixed using the below methods.

Method 2: Utilize Remo Repair Word

Download Remo Repair Word for free which is an advanced Word file repair utility to repair your corrupted or damaged Word document. This software can effortlessly repair corrupt or damaged Word of any version to recover text, formatting, OLE objects, fields including hyperlinks, and many more.
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MS Word Issue 4: Frozen Microsoft Word

Is your Microsoft Word application freezing or not responding? This Word error can occur due to various reasons like add-ins, improper MS Office settings, improper Word installation, etc.

How to fix Frozen Microsoft Word?

Method 1. Uninstall and Reinstall the Word program

  1. Open Control Panel and click Program and Features.
  2. Locate and select the Microsoft Word program.
  3. Now, click Uninstall.
  4. Once the uninstallation process completes, reinstall Microsoft Word.

Note: Save your serial key in a text document to reinstall or activate Microsoft Word.

Method 2. Repair Word Application

If the above method doesn’t fix Microsoft Word freezing, then this could be due to a corrupt Word program. 

Refer to Repair Microsoft Office application (Microsoft Word issue 3 > Method 1 ) to easily fix Microsoft Word freezing using the free and reliable method.

MS Word Issue 5: Corrupt Word Document

If your Word file is corrupt then it might pop up some common Word file errors like “The document name or path is not valid”, “The application was unable to start correctly (0xc0000715). Click OK to close the application”, etc. due to which you cannot access your Word document.

Some of the common reasons for Word document corruption are frequently converting the Word file into another format, sudden interruptions while working or transferring Word files, virus infection, etc. Below is the proven method to repair and recover corrupt Word files with simple clicks.

Download Word File Repair tool for free

How to Fix a Corrupt Word file?

Note: You can make use of this method to fix the Word file created on various MS Word versions.

Six interesting greatest common factor word problems you can give to your students to tease them.

Word problem #1

A cell phone company produces 40 defective phones out of every 5000 phones. Another cell phone company produces 30 defective phones out of every 6000 phones. What is the highest number of defective phones do the companies have in common?

Word problem #2

Anthony’s mom gave him 30 dollars while Jennifer’s mom gave her 36 dollars. They want to give the same amount of money to a charity. What is the greatest donation they can make?

Word problem #3Sam has 39 pencils and 26 pens to distribute to his classmates? Each student must receive the same amount of pens and pencils and there will be no pens or pencils left. What is the greatest number of students in that class?

More Interesting Greatest common factor word problems


Word problem #4


Peter has 12 dollars in his pocket
and James has 15 dollars. They want to give money to each other. How
much money will they have left after they give to each other the same
but highest possible amount?

Word problem #5

A car dealer has 20 Toyota Camrys and
25 Honda Accords left on the parking lot. The dealer wants to arrange
the cars in rows so that each row has the same number of vehicles and
the same number of vehicles of each type. What is the greatest number of rows that can be formed?

Word problem #6

A math teacher combines his class with a science teacher for a group activity. The math teacher has 18 students and the science teacher has 27 students. The teachers want to form groups of the same size. Each group must have the same number of math students and the same number of science students. What is the greatest number of groups the teachers can form?

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Spelling words in English is challenging work. As a matter of fact, many native speakers of English have problems with spelling correctly. One of the main reasons for this is that many, many English words are NOT spelled as they are spoken. This difference between pronunciation and spelling causes a lot of confusion. The combination «ough» provides an excellent example:

  • Tough — pronounced — tuf (the ‘u’ sounding as in ‘cup’)
  • Through — pronounced — throo
  • Dough — pronounced — doe (long ‘o’)
  • Bought — pronounced — bawt

It’s enough to make anyone crazy! Here are some of the most common problems when spelling words in English.

Three Syllables Pronounced as Two Syllables

  • Aspirin — pronounced — asprin
  • Different — pronounced — diffrent
  • Every — pronounced — evry

Four Syllables Pronounced as Three Syllables

  • Comfortable — pronounced — comfrtable
  • Temperature — pronounced — temprature
  • Vegetable — pronounced — vegtable

Words That Sound the Same (Homophones)

  • two, to, too — pronounced — too
  • knew, new — pronounced — niew
  • through, threw — pronounced — throo
  • not, knot, naught — pronounced — not

Same Sounds — Different Spellings

‘Eh’ as in ‘Let’

  • let
  • bread
  • said

‘Ai’ as in ‘I’

  • I
  • sigh
  • buy
  • either

The following letters are silent when pronounced.

  • D — sandwich, Wednesday
  • G — sign, foreign
  • GH — daughter, light, right
  • H — why, honest, hour
  • K — know, knight, knob
  • L — should, walk, half
  • P — cupboard, psychology
  • S — island
  • T — whistle, listen, fasten
  • U — guess, guitar
  • W — who, write, wrong

Unusual Letter Combinations

  • GH = ‘F’: cough, laugh, enough, rough
  • CH = ‘K’: chemistry, headache, Christmas, stomach
  • EA = ‘EH’: breakfast, head, bread, instead
  • EA = ‘EI’: steak, break
  • EA = ‘EE’: weak, streak
  • OU = ‘UH’: country, double, enough

Introduction to Word Problems. In this video, we’re gonna give just a brief overview of the entire module because this is a long module. Word problems are a large category of possible questions. Most of these can be solved with algebraic techniques. Some have numerical answer choices, and some have variable answer choices.

As we will see, in addition to the straightforward way of solving which involves algebra, we will also be able to determine the answer to the questions working from the answer choices first. So we have multiple ways of approaching these. The most common word problems fall into a few categories, age questions, motion questions, work questions, growth and decay questions, and mixture questions.

Typically these questions state the information in words and do not provide variables. We have to first of all assign variables and then write equations. So we need to talk about how to turn the words into symbols and equations. How to turn the words into algebra. We often have to consider whether to use one variable or more than one variable.

This module will first explore the general strategies for all these problems, assigning variables, then writing equations. Then we will talk in detail about each kind of word problem, showing the straightforward algebraic approaches to how to solve them. And then finally, we’ll have a few general videos on alternative problem-solving strategies, such as backsolving or picking numbers.

So that is the basic layout of this module.

Word usage errors in research papers written by non-native speakers of English are more common than other mistakes and are only topped by errors in style. Since the main purpose of academic writing is to clearly convey information, knowing how to use words correctly and effectively is absolutely crucial. 

Some problems with word choice stem from the fact that the English language contains pairs or sets of words that sound alike (homophones) and/or look alike (homonyms) but have different meanings. Additionally, there are words that sound and look different but have similar meanings. Other mistakes occur when ESL authors think in their mother language while writing and try to translate entire expressions into English. And sometimes, the wrong word is actually the right word spelled incorrectly. Here, we list examples of typical errors in word usage that we frequently come across in academic texts written by ESL authors and provide tips on how to avoid them.

Table of Contents:

  1. Words with Similar Sounds but Different Meanings
  2. Words with Similar Meanings but Different Connotations
  3. Using the Correct Word Stem with the Wrong Prefix or Suffix 
  4. Translation Errors and Collocations
  5. Spelling Mistakes That Can Change Your Meaning

Words with Similar Sounds but Different Meanings

Confusing similar words that have different meanings is one of the most common errors in word choice, and one that happens to native speakers as well. In spoken English, many of these might not be very obvious or just sound like a slip of the tongue. However, when writing any kind of academic text, you should check for such mistakes to make sure the reader clearly understands what you are trying to convey.

1. Affect vs effect / affective versus effective

Affect as a noun describes the strong experience of feelings or emotions, while the verb to affect means to impact. The noun effect, in contrast, is the result of something, and the verb to effect means to cause something to happen or to bring about a certain result. In brief, if something affects something else, it leads to a certain effect

NO  Sleep deprivation clearly effected the patients’ overall well-being.

YES  Sleep deprivation clearly affected the patients’ overall well-being.

NO   The affect of exercise on depression is not clearly understood.

YES  The effect of exercise on depression is not clearly understood.

2. Then vs than

Than is a conjunction/preposition that is used for comparison, while then is an adverb that means at that time or subsequently.

YES   The effect of exercise on depression is less obvious than that of medication.

YES  Patients were debriefed, and then asked to fill in a questionnaire. 

NO   The effect of exercise on depression is less obvious then that of medication

3. Principal vs principle

Principal as an adjective means the main or the most important, while as a noun, it means head of a school. A principle, on the other hand, is a general theorem or law or a system’s underlying foundation.

NO   Our approach is based on the scientific principals of behavioral analysis.

YES   Our approach is based on the scientific principles of behavioral analysis.

YES  The principal idea of our approach is that early socialization affects behavior.

4. Advice vs advise

Since to advise means to give advice, the main difference between the two is that one is a noun and one is a verb. You therefore don’t have to worry about meaning when using these two, but only about correct grammar.

NO   Patients should be adviced against smoking after cancer treatment

YES   Patients should be advised against smoking after cancer treatment.

YES  Our advice to patients after cancer treatment is to stop smoking.

5. Accept vs except

Accept and except sound almost identical but mean very different things – accept means to consent or to receive, while the verb and the preposition (to) except both mean to not include

NO   Subjects were called back after 2 weeks, accept for those who had dropped out.

YES   Subjects were called back after 2 weeks, except for those who had dropped out.

YES  Smoking is widely accepted as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease 

6. Alternate vs alternative

An alternative is an additional or different option or choice, while alternating refers to the action of switching between choices, states or actions

NO   TMS has emerged as an alternate treatment option for anxiety.

YES   TMS has emerged as an alternative treatment option for anxiety.

YES  We explored the role of alternate care sites in responsiveness to COVID-19 

8. Adapt vs adopt

To adopt is to take something and make it your own, while to adapt means changing an existing idea or approach so that it suits your needs. These words often seem to be used interchangeably, but because they sound so similar, you have to make sure you are using the correct one that conveys your intended meaning.

YES   Many recent studies have adopted a similar cross-sectional design.

YES  We adapted the usual clinical design to better reflect patient characteristics.

9. Access vs assess

To access means to enter or approach or take hold of something, while to assess means to evaluate, determine, or judge.

NO   The aim of this study was to access the clinical outcomes of the seton procedure.

YES   The aim of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes of the seton procedure.

YES  Author KA was granted access to patient data by the hospital ethics committee.

common word choice errors, scrabble tiles
Word choice errors are the most common writing issues after incorrect articles and punctuation mistakes.

Words with Similar Meanings but Different Connotations

1. Infer vs Imply

Implying means to suggest something while not directly showing or saying it. Inferring, on the other hand, means that you come to a conclusion, based on clear evidence, on your own assumptions, or on what your data or someone else imply.

YES   These findings imply that neuropeptides play a role in feeding behavior.

YES  Intuitive responders infer that everybody responds as they do

2. Among vs Between

Many authors, native as well as non-native speakers of English, seem to be confused about how to use among and between correctly. The problem is that there are essentially two rules on how to use these two, one that is well-known but in essence an oversimplification and one that is lesser known but explains the difference more precisely. Rule 1 says that you use between for comparisons between two things and among when you refer to groups or sets of more than two elements

While you will very often choose the correct word when you follow this rule, this approach can lead to “overcorrections” that sound awkward. That’s where Rule 2 comes into play, which states that you can use between for any number of elements, as long as all the elements are separate and distinct. You can choose between eggs and cereals or between eggs, cereals, and toast for breakfast. Among is used for people or things that are not distinct and viewed as a group rather than as individual elements. Negotiations between Italy and Denmark (a comparison of two distinct countries) or among the EU member states (seen as a group) can fail. You share secrets between friends (from person to person) but you feel comfortable with or among your friends. 

YES   MoO3 showed the best performance among the investigated HDO catalysts.

YES  There was no behavioral difference between the test and the control group.

3. Amount vs Number

These words might seem similar in meaning, but their correct usage is related to the concept of countable and uncountable nouns in English. Number can only be used with countable nouns, while amount is used with uncountable nouns. 

NO  The number of literatures included in this meta-analysis is enormous.

YES   The amount of literature included in this meta-analysis is enormous.

YES  The number of earlier studies on this topic is low.

Using the Correct Word Stem with the Wrong Prefix or Suffix

Additions to the beginning (prefixes) or end (suffixes) of root words can change a word from an adjective (e.g., happy) into a noun (happiness), or an adverb (happily), into its opposite (unhappy), or affect the tense of a verb. The problem with prefixes and suffixes is that they cannot be used with every word and that they do not always have the same effect. You therefore need to make sure you don’t create words that do not exist or change your intended meaning by adding the wrong prefix or suffix.

NO  Changes were determinated using a computer-controlled spectrophotometer.

YES Changes were determined using a computer-controlled spectrophotometer.

NO   Protein instableness is a common issue in protein pharmaceuticals.

YES Protein instability is a common issue in protein pharmaceuticals.

NO   We assessed sources of diagnostic inaccurateness of cardiac markers.

YES We assessed sources of diagnostic inaccuracy of cardiac markers.

Translation Errors and Collocations

Thinking in your native language and translating phrases literally into English because they sound “natural” is one of the most common reasons for incorrect or awkward expressions in English texts written by non-native authors. While understanding and correcting such mistakes might seem more difficult than grasping the difference between two similar verbs, there are ways for you to avoid such errors.

 For example, you can check your wording with Google Scholar or the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, and self-editing your text with the help of our lists of common expressions in research papers or the most useful verbs for the different parts of a paper will make your writing much stronger. And while you are at it, you are also well-advised (not “adviced”) to check your use of prepositions, another common source of mistakes in English writing. If you are not even sure what kind of expressions you might need to check, the following list of commonly mistranslated/misused expressions can give you an idea. 

NO   Patients underwent dizziness and worsening symptoms.

YES Patients experienced dizziness and reported worsening symptoms. 

YES   Patients presented with dizziness and showed worsening symptoms over time. 

NO   Patients underwent a questionnaire after the experiment.

YES   Patients filled in a questionnaire after the experiment. 

NO   Patients succeeded complete remission.

YES   Patients achieved complete remission. 

NO   The difference between groups was obtained with one-way ANOVA.

YES   The difference between groups was assessed with one-way ANOVA.

Make sure who does or shows or undergoes something and that the subjects and verbs of your sentences always correspond to each other.

NO   Patients performed liver biopsy.

YES   Patients underwent liver biopsy. 

YES  Two experienced surgeons performed liver biopsy. 

You also need to pay attention to the difference between people and things, because some verbs only go with one or the other.

NO   The study was not able to analyze age differences, due to its design.

YES   We were not able to analyze age differences, due to the design of our study.

NO   PET alone was not able to diagnose our patients.

YES   We were not able to diagnose our patients using PET alone.

Spelling Mistakes That Change Your Meaning

Some mistakes simply stem from phonemic differences between English and other languages. For example, native speakers of languages that do not clearly distinguish between “r” and “l” might misspell words in English without noticing. This is no problem when you make a real spelling mistake and your spellchecker catches it. But sometimes, the incorrect spelling results in a correct word that a spell checker will not flag. Such mistakes can only be avoided by careful proofreading.

NO   Collect doses were determined by a series of tests.

YES  Correct doses were determined by a series of tests.

NO   We did not arrow participants to leave the room between sessions.

YES  We did not allow participants to leave the room between sessions.

Before submitting your academic document to journals, be sure to receive professional editing services, including paper editing services, to fix any remaining language and style issues. And to correct your writing errors in real-time, try our ai online editor, Wordvice AI.

Addition and subtraction are the basic operations of Mathematics taught to primary school children as a fundamental part of their syllabus. These basic operations also help us in building a great base for higher-level maths. We start learning the process of addition and subtraction using an abacus at the initial level and move towards complicated world problems. As your academic level increases, you will understand the relevance and importance of addition and subtraction word problems in the world of Mathematics. Here is an exclusive blog discussing different methods of solving these questions!

This Blog Includes:
  1. What are Word Problems?
  2. Single Operation Word Problems
  3. Multiple Operation Word Problems
  4. Word Problems for Grade 2
  5. Word Problems for Grade 3 
  6. Word Problems for Grade 4
  7. Common Errors
  8. Tips for Solving Addition and Subtraction Word Problems
  9. Practice Questions
  10. FAQs

What are Word Problems?

As the name suggests, word problems are comprehensive questions that are designed to give a real-life simulation of mathematical problems. In the case of addition and subtraction word problems, the question generally revolves around some quantity of an object, which increases and decreases as the question progresses. These questions are pretty direct and easy to solve, even without the use of paper and pen. These word problems can be of the following types, Single and Multiple operations. 

Before we move on to the Addition and Subtraction Word Problems,
here is a list of Seating Arrangement Questions for you!

Single Operation Word Problems

This type of word problem deals with a single operation per question. Here are some examples of single-operation addition and subtraction word problems:-

Q1: Mohit has 12 marbles. He buys 5 more. How many does he have now?

For this question, we will follow these simple steps:

Note the number of marbles Mohit has in the beginning(12)

As he buys more marbles, the total number of marbles will increase, so add the number of marbles he purchased(5) to the number of marbles he originally had(12)

The sum of both numbers(12+5) is the total number of marbles Mohit has now, i.e. 17 marbles.

The answer is 17 Marbles

Did you get these Addition and Subtraction word problems?
Great, try out some Algebra Questions as well!

Q2: Joe has 23 oranges. He eats 2 of them. How many does he have now?

For this question, we will follow these steps: 

Note the number of oranges he has in the beginning(23)

As he eats the oranges, the number of oranges he has will reduce. To get the new number of oranges he has now, we will subtract the number of oranges he ate(2) from the total number of oranges(23)

The difference between the two numbers(23-2) is the number of oranges he has now, i.e. 21 oranges

The answer is 21 Oranges

Multiple Operation Word Problems

Multiple operation word problems include more than one operation in a single addition and subtraction word problem. They are the most common type of addition and subtraction word problems as they include both operations in a single question. We just follow a step-wise approach to solve these word problems. Here’s an example-

Q1: Aman owns 24 pens. He decides to buy 5 more. When he comes home he loses 3 pens. How many pens does he have now?

For this question, we take the following steps:

Note the original number of pens Aman has (24)

Add the number of pens he buys(24+5=29)

Subtract the number of pens he loses(29-3=26)

The number of pens he has in the end = 26

The answer is 26 Pens

Try out these BODMAS Questions to improve your Mathematics!

Word Problems for Grade 2

Q1. 114 birds were sitting on a tree. 21 more birds flew up to the tree. How many birds were there altogether in the tree? 

No. of birds initially = 114

Birds flew up to the tree = 21 

Total no. of birds = 114 + 21 = 135

Hence, There were 135 birds in the tree 

Q2. 29 birds were sitting in a tree. Some more fly up to the tree. Then there would be 142 birds in the tree. How many flew up to the tree?

No. of birds sitting in a tree = 29 

Total no. of birds = 142 

Birds flew up to the tree = 142 – 29 = 113 

Hence, 113 birds flew up to the tree

Q3. Beth has 74 crayons. She gives 25 of them away to Jen. How many crayons does beth have left. 

Total no. of crayons of Beth = 74 

Beth gives = 25 

No. of crayons left = 74 – 25 = 49 

Hence, Beth has 49 crayons left 

Q4. Cindy’s mom baked 41 cookies. Paul’s dad baked 38 cookies. Cindy and Paul ate 6 cookies each and then brought them to school for a party. How many cookies did they bring to school altogether? 

Cindy’s baked cookies = 41 

Paul’s dad baked cookies = 38 

Cindy and Paul ate cookies = 6 each

Total no. of cookies baked = 41 + 38 = 79 

Total cookies they bring to school = 79 – 12 = 67 

Hence, 67 total cookies they bring to the school 

Word Problems for Grade 3 

Janina owns a catering service company. She was hired to cater for the mayor’s 50th birthday. 

Q1. For the appetizers, she needs to make 750 mini meat pies. She divided her crew into 3 teams. If the first team made 235, and the second made 275, how many pies should the third team make? 

Total Meat Pies needed = 750 

Meat pies made by first-team = 235

Meat pies made by the second team = 275 

235 + 275 = 510

Then, Meat Pies made by third-team = 750 – 510 = 240 

Hence, meat pies made by third-team = 240

Q2. She needs 280 cups of mushroom soup. If the first team made 90 cups in 60 mins, and the third team made 70 cups in 90 mins, how many cups should the second team prepare in order to meet the required amount of soup?

Total soup cups needed = 280 

Cups made by first-team = 90

Cups made by third-team = 70 

90+70 = 160

Then, cups made by second-team = 280 – 160 = 120

Hence, the second team should prepare 120 soup cups. 

Q3. For the first main dish, they were asked to cook steak. If the third and second-team cooked 240 plates of steak, and the first team cooked 75 plates less than what the second and third-team made, how many steaks did they cook altogether? 

Steak cooked by third and second-team = 240 

Steak cooked by first-team cooked = 75

Steak cooked by second and third-team = 240 – 75 = 165 

Total steaks cooked = 240 + 165 = 405

Hence, they cooked a total of 40 steaks.  

Q4. For the second main course, they made fish fillets for the 320 people at the party. The first team made 189 pieces, the second team made 131 pieces and the third team made 180 pieces, how many pieces were made altogether? 

Pieces made by first-team = 189

Pieces made by second-team = 131

Pieces made by third-team = 180 

Total pieces = 189 + 131 + 180 = 500

Hence, 500 pieces were made altogether.

Word Problems for Grade 4

The table shows the number of people visiting an art museum over 3 months. 

January February March
Child 28 34 56
Adult 59 55
Senior 15  22 ?
Total ? 139 ?

Q1. What is the total number of people that visited the art museum in January? 

In Jan, 

Child = 28

Adult = 59

Senior = 15 

Total = 102

Hence, the total number visited the art museum in January = 102 

Q2. Compared to January, how many more children go to the museum in February? 

Children in January = 28

Children in February = 34 

34-28 = 6

Hence, 6 more children go to the museum in February. 

Q3. How many adults visited the museum in February? 

In February, 

Total People = 139 

Children = 34

Senior = 22

No. of Adults = 139 – 34 – 22 = 83

Hence, 83 adults visited the museum in February. 

Q4. 16 more seniors visited in March. Tell the total no. of seniors who visited the museum in March?

Seniors in Jan and Feb = 15 + 22 = 37

Seniors in March = 37 + 16 = 53 

Also, here we can calculate the total no. of visitors = 55 + 56 + 53 = 164

Hence, March has a total no. of 164 visitors in the three months. 

Common Errors

When attempting to solve addition and subtraction word problems, there are a few frequent errors. Some of these include:

  • Calculation mistakes – You must be very careful when adding or subtracting numbers because it is frequently observed that students make errors when working carelessly.
  • Right explanation – When working on word problems, it’s crucial to use correct statements in order to properly explain the actions conducted. Mentioning what is given, what needs to be calculated, and the formula envisioned for usage in this regard are among them.
  • Understanding of the Problem – One of the most frequent mistakes is when a student is unable to determine if the issue requires an addition or a subtraction solution.

Tips for Solving Addition and Subtraction Word Problems

Here’s a little helpful tip to get through addition and subtraction word problems:

  • Words like purchasing, winning, making, buying or getting something from someone are related to addition problems. If you spot such sentences, you should apply addition operations.
  • Words like losing, eating, selling, and giving to someone are related to subtraction problems. If you spot such sentences, you should apply subtraction operations.

Now that you know how to solve addition and subtraction word problems,
you must try these simplification questions as well!

Practice Questions

Having explained the types of questions which can come for addition and subtraction word problems, here are some practice questions for you to sharpen your skills-

Q1: if Kishan has 2 balls and Shyam gives him 9 balls, how many balls does Kishan have now?

Q2: If Seeta has 4 apples and Geeta takes away 3 apples from her, how many apples does Seeta have now?

Q3: Matt has 10 watches. He sells 6 of them. How many watches are left with Matt?

Q4: Joseph has 20 cars. If his friends take away 12 of them, then how many cars are left with Joseph?

Q5: Raman has 25 shirts.12 got dirty and 3 are torn. How many good shirts does Raman have?

Q6: Fred has 50 Rupees as his pocket money. He spends 12 on a burger and 17 on a cold drink. How much money does he have now?

Q7: Bruce has 6 gold medals. He wins 3 more at racing. How many gold medals does he have now?

Q8: ABC company has 250 bikes in their store. They sell 153 of them. Then they make 46 new bikes. How many bikes do they have now?

Q9: Varun has 30 fans. Sonam sold him 40 more and Raju bought 22 fans from him. How many fans does Varun have now?

Q10: Radhika has 45 lipsticks. She bought 25 more and gave 17 to Rama. How many lipsticks does Radhika have now?

Q11: A company has 345 workers. They hire 123 more. 12 people leave the company. 23 workers are absent on Monday. How many workers are there in the company on Monday?

Q12: A person takes 14 minutes for a bath. He further takes 20 minutes to get ready and 20 minutes to drive to his office. How much time does it take to reach the office?

FAQs

What are the most basic parts of mathematics?

Addition, Subtraction, Divide, and Multiply are the four most basic parts of mathematics.

Why learning basic maths is basic important?

The basic parts of maths will be applicable to different course materials as well as different aspects of life.

What problems students should learn first?

Students should learn addition first.

We hope these questions helped you understand addition and subtraction word problems in a better way. Connect with us at Leverage Edu to browse through more such educational and informative blogs.

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