Subtraction word problems
When something goes away, gets eaten or breaks, you subtract. Look at these stories — each one needs a take-away.
Story 1 — eating some
Lucas baked 12 cookies. He ate 3 of them. How many cookies are left?
Numbers: 12 and 3. Action: eating, taking away. Question: how many left.
12 − 3 = 9. There are 9 cookies left.
Story 2 — giving away
Sara had 15 pencils. She gave 7 to her brother. How many pencils does Sara have now?
15 − 7 = 8. Sara has 8 pencils.
Story 3 — finding the missing piece
The class needs 14 chairs. There are already 9 in the room. How many more chairs are needed?
This is also a subtraction problem — we are looking for the difference.
14 − 9 = 5. They need 5 more chairs.
How to know it is subtraction
Watch for words like:
- "left", "remain", "still has"
- "ate", "lost", "broke", "fell"
- "how many more", "how many fewer"
If the story shows something going away or asks how many more, it is usually subtraction.
Try one yourself
A box had 18 chocolates. Three friends ate 6 of them. How many chocolates are still in the box?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Answer: 18 − 6 = 12 chocolates.
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