Representing and solving word problems involves choosing the correct operation (like addition or subtraction), as well as knowing which values to use.
The table below shows some common types of word problems.
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There were two birds on a fence. Three more birds flew to the fence. How many birds are on the fence now?
2 + 3 = ? |
There were two birds on a fence. Some more birds flew to the fence. Then there were five birds. How many birds flew to the fence?
2 + ? = 5 |
There were some birds on a fence. Three more birds flew to the fence. Then there were five birds. How many birds were on the fence before?
? + 3 = 5 |
Maria had five crayons. She gave two crayons to a friend. How many crayons does Maria have now?
5 − 2 = ? |
Maria had five crayons. She gave some crayons to a friend. Then she had three crayons. How many crayons did Maria give away?
5 − ? = 3 |
Maria had some crayons. She gave two crayons to a friend. Then she had three crayons. How many crayons did Maria have before?
? − 2 = 3 |
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A bag has three blue marbles and two yellow marbles. How many marbles are in the bag?
3 + 2 = ? |
A bag has five marbles. Three of the marbles are blue. The other marbles are yellow. How many yellow marbles are in the bag?
3 + ? = 5 , 5 − 3 = ? |
Sam puts five toy cars into a red box and a blue box. How many cars could go in each box?
5 = 0 + 5 , 5 = 5 + 0
5 = 1 + 4 , 5 = 4 + 1
5 = 2 + 3 , 5 = 3 + 2 |
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Asking “how many more”:
Omar has two stickers. Ana has five stickers. How many more stickers does Ana have than Omar?
Asking “how many fewer”:
Omar has two stickers. Ana has five stickers. How many fewer stickers does Omar have than Ana?
2 + ? = 5 , 5 − 2 = ? |
Using the word “more”:
Ana has three more stickers than Omar. Omar has two stickers. How many stickers does Ana have?
Using the word “fewer”:
Omar has three fewer stickers than Ana. Omar has two stickers. How many stickers does Ana have?
2 + 3 = ? , 3 + 2 = ? |
Using the word “more”:
Ana has three more stickers than Omar. Ana has five stickers. How many stickers does Omar have?
Using the word “fewer”:
Omar has three fewer stickers than Ana. Ana has five stickers. How many stickers does Omar have?
5 − 3 = ? , ? + 3 = 5 |
2nd Grade Math - One-Step Problems Lesson