This section focuses on math-based word problems that included some form addition and/or subtraction in some fashion. Each worksheet contains a number of different word problems for your students to solve. Activities include deriving the correct equations based on word clues and arriving at the correct answer. This usually will serve as students introduction to the concept of word problems. The more you switch between these two operations, the greater understanding of their use students will grasp. Many of the word problems students will come in contact with involve animals to some capacity. I always ask myself why, but who isn't into animals?
Mixed Addition and Subtraction Word Problems
Click the buttons to print each worksheet and associated answer key.
Addition Word Problem Lesson
This lesson walks students through the most basic of problems. Example: There are 20 boys and 30 girls in a class. How many students are there in the class?
Review and Do Sheet
Students will see an explanation to subtraction based problem and then be asked to complete 2 problems on their own. Tony has 22 mangoes. If he ate 12, find the total number of fruits he is left with? The Blues team scored 10 runs. Will scored 6 runs. How many runs were scored by rest of the team?
10 Practice Problems Worksheet
Example problems include: There are 30 students in class A and 40 in class B. How many students are there in both the classes? Sam bought 1 sweet corn from the mall and jasmine bought 3 sweet corns from the same mall. How many sweet corns did they buy in total?
Distance and Integers Worksheet
These are a mix of both word problems that include both operations. All of the questions are looking for either a distance or basic integer. Example: May and Jeffery are on a trip in which they covered 60 km together. If Max covered 35 km. What is the distance covered by Jeffery?
Word Problem Keyword Practice Word Problem Keyword Practice
We suggest that as you read the problem, circle any keywords that indicate an operation. There are 20 people in a party, out of which 12 are wearing black suits. Find the number of people who are not wearing a black suit.
A Quick 3 Word Problems
This is a nice mixture of addition and subtraction based word problems that is packed into 3 short question. This makes this worksheet great for introducing or reviewing these skills as a class.
Multiple Operations Word Problem Practice
You will need to apply multiple instances of operations for most of the questions found here. An example: There are two 220 cc engines and five 150 cc engines. How many engines are there?
Thick Sentences Worksheet
These word problems are a bit lengthy and add extra details. This helps students learn how to identify what is important. Ron went to an exhibition. He bought three white boards and five black boards. How many boards did Ron buy? Bob and Joe counted 4 results from teenagers. Later, they counted 6 more results from teenagers. How many results from teenagers did they count in all?
Word Problem Mixture Worksheet
These follow the pattern of the previous worksheet. An example would be: There are 15 employees in a company if 3 are on leave then how many are present in the company? Max and Jim are on a trip in which they covered 50 km altogether. If Max covered 35 km. What is the distance covered by Jim?
Review Worksheet
This can make for a great homework sheet. An example is worked out for you. Here is an example problem: There are 50 folders in a computer. If 30 folders are deleted then how many folders are left in a computer?
Mixed Word Problems Quiz
There are 10 problems on this quiz to see how well you know this skill. Example: 15 soldiers are on the border and 12 soldiers were standing away from the border. Find the total number of soldiers.
Do Now!
This makes for a great in class activity. Example problem: Harry and John went to market. They bought 15 antiques altogether. If 7 antiques belong to Harry. How many antiques does John have?
The Coffee Mug Lesson
This offers students a nice visual to help them solve this word problem. The problem at hand: Megan and Vanessa ordered coffee mugs over the internet. Megan ordered 2 coffee mugs. Vanessa ordered 1 coffee mug. How many coffee mugs did they order in all?
The Apple Tree Worksheet
This walks you through a simple subtraction word problem that involves an apple tree: There were 8 apples on a tree, but Tom plucked away 3. How many apples are left on the tree? You are then given 2 independent practice problems.
Collections and Sets Worksheet
This is a collection of mixed operation word problems that are grouped together. Here is an example: Jesse and Sam went around the neighborhood selling boxes of cookies to raise money for the choir. Jesse sold 5 boxes, and Sam sold 4 boxes. How many boxes did they sell in all?
Collectives Worksheet 2
This worksheet is simply a collection of some of the best examples of mixed operation based word problems for your students. Example: Lea and Annie went around the house collecting pillows to make a play fort. Lea collected 2 pillows in the family room. Annie collected 2 pillows in the living room. How many pillows did they collect in all?
Context Skimming Word Problems
These problems will require that students read deeply into the content that is provided to them to understand exactly what the problem is looking for. Jackson and Charles worked in the community garden. Together, they planted 10 flower bulbs. Jackson planted 6 flower bulbs. How many flower bulbs did Charles plant?
Warmup Worksheet
This is a great way to get started with mixed addition and subtraction word problems. Example: Angelina bought 5 painted cups, but she used 1 of them to decorate a friend's room. How many painted cups does she have now?
How to Identify a Word Problem That Requires Addition or Subtraction
Most word problems in math can be solved by using addition or subtraction. But how do you know which operation to use? This guide will show you how to identify a word problem that requires addition or subtraction and how to solve it.
A word problem in math is a problem that can be solved by using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Word problems often include objects or numbers that represent other values.
When approaching these types of problems there are number of things that students are hazy on. The thing I encounter very often is that students get tripped up by focusing too heavily on the numbers themselves. They see the number and completely forget that the first thing you need to do is understand the mathematical relationship that is being expressed. I encourage students to block out the numbers right away. At that point we need to focus on keywords that explains the relationship that is present. Have students learn to answer if something is being added together or removed. It is helpful for students to build a math vocabulary of what word attaches to each of those operators. Once we have this down, it is time to bring the numbers back. Start by having students write a simple equation that explains the relationship. I will often practice dozens of problems with students by just having them writing these equations. Check that the equations are setup correctly. Remember with word problems it all about the process. I also find that many students benefit from making drawings about what is going on in each problem.
The key to identifying and solving these problems is remembering the keywords.
Keywords that indicate addition: together, sum, more, increase, combined, in total.
Keywords that indicate subtraction: the difference, less, fewer, decreases, subtract, remaining, etc.
Identifying Addition Operations
If a word problem asks you to find the total amount, sum, or combined quantity of a group of things, you need to use addition.
For example: There are 7 dogs and 3 cats in the animal shelter. How many animals are in the shelter in total? To solve this problem, add 7 + 3 to get 10. So there are 10 animals in the shelter altogether.
Identifying Subtraction Operations
There are several types of subtraction problems that typically demand you to compare quantities, find the difference, and subtract from whole numbers.
Compare Quantities - There are word problems that ask students to look at two different situations and compare them using the given values.
Let's look at an example of a compare quantities word problem.
Ms. Jones has 8 dogs. Mr. Smith has 2 dogs. How many more dogs does Ms. Jones have than Mr. Smith?
To solve this problem, we need to compare the two quantities and figure out how much greater one is than the other. In this case, Ms. Jones has 6 (8 - 2) more dogs than Mr. Smith.
Now let's try a word problem that asks us to find the difference between two numbers. The key to solving these problems is carefully reading and identifying what is being asked.
Mrs. Brown has 4 pounds of flour. She uses 2 and 1/4 pounds of flour to bake cookies. How much flour does she have left?
To solve this problem, we need to take the 2 and 1/4 pounds of flour away from the 4 pounds of flour Mrs. Brown started with. This leaves her with 1 and 3/4 pounds of flour left.
Finally, let's look at a word problem that asks us to subtract from a whole number.
George has 10 pieces of candy. He eats 4 pieces of candy. How many pieces of candy does George have left? To solve this problem, we need to take the 4 pieces of candy away from the 10 pieces of candy George started with. This leaves him with 6 pieces of candy.
As you can see, several different types of word problems involve subtraction. The key to solving these problems is carefully reading and identifying what is being asked. With a little practice, you'll be able to solve any subtraction word problem that comes your way!
Use of Both Addition and Subtraction
Some word problems will require you to use both addition and subtraction. For example:
On Monday, Jack had 5 pieces of candy. He gave 2 pieces to his sister. Then he found 3 more pieces on the ground. How many pieces of candy does Jack have now?
To solve this problem, start by adding 5 + 3 to get 8. But then we need to subtract 2 because Jack gave some away, so the final answer is 8 - 2 = 6. So Jack has 6 pieces of candy now.
Final Words
If you're unsure whether to use addition or subtraction in a word problem, try reading the problem aloud. This will help you identify the keywords that will tell you which operation to use.
Remember, addition is for when two things are put together, and subtraction is for when something is taken away.