Addition & Subtraction Word Problems

Real problems arrive as sentences, not sums. A reliable routine:

1. Read and picture what is happening.
2. Decide the operation — words like altogether, total and more suggest adding; left, change, fewer and difference suggest subtracting.
3. Estimate by rounding, so a silly answer will stand out.
4. Solve, then check.

Some problems need two steps — do one operation, then the next.

Worked example. A tuck shop starts with $2\,000$ packets of chips, receives $750$ more, then sells $1\,300$. How many are left?

Step 1 (add the delivery): $2\,000 + 750 = 2\,750$. Step 2 (subtract the sales): $2\,750 - 1\,300 = 1\,450$.