A word problem is a story that describes something happening with numbers — like buying, sharing, adding, or removing things. Your job is to change the story into a mathematical sentence (called a numerical expression) so you can find the answer.
A numerical expression is a sentence made up of numbers and math signs (like +, −, ×, ÷). It helps us to show the story in mathematics form.
Examples:
5 + 3 12 − 4 + 2 6 × 3 − 5
| Operation | Keywords (Words That Show It) | Example |
|---|---|---|
Addition (+) |
sum, total, together, in all, more than | “She bought 5 more…” |
Subtraction (−) |
left, gave away, remain, less than | “He gave away 3…” |
Multiplication (×) |
times, each, altogether, product | “Each costs 4…” |
Division (÷) |
shared, equally, per, divided among | “Shared among 5…” |
Word Problem:
Chika had 8 pencils. She bought 6 more and then gave 3 to her brother. How many pencils does she have now?
Step 1: Numbers → 8, 6, 3
Step 2: Operations → bought more (add), gave away (subtract)
Step 3: Expression → 8 + 6 − 3
Step 4: Solve → 8 + 6 = 14, 14 − 3 = 11
Answer: Chika now has 11 pencils.
Word Problem:
A carton contains 5 packets of biscuits. Each packet has 10 biscuits. If Tunde eats 8 biscuits, how many are left?
Step 1: Numbers → 5, 10, 8
Step 2: Operations → multiplication (packets × biscuits), subtraction (ate)
Step 3: Expression → (5 × 10) − 8
Step 4: Solve → 50 − 8 = 42
Answer: There are 42 biscuits left.
Word Problem:
A teacher bought 4 boxes of chalk. Each box has 6 sticks. She gave 5 sticks to her friend and 3 sticks to her pupils. How many sticks remain?
Step 1: Numbers → 4, 6, 5, 3
Step 2: Operations → multiplication, subtraction
Step 3: Expression → (4 × 6) − 5 − 3
Step 4: Solve → 24 − 5 = 19, 19 − 3 = 16
Answer: 16 sticks remain.
Word Problem:
There are 12 mangoes. They are shared equally among 3 children. Each child eats 2 mangoes and keeps the rest. How many mangoes does each child keep?
Step 1: Numbers → 12, 3, 2
Step 2: Operations → division, subtraction
Step 3: Expression → (12 ÷ 3) − 2
Step 4: Solve → 4 − 2 = 2
Answer: Each child keeps 2 mangoes.
Word Problem:
Ngozi had ₦20. She bought a pen for ₦5, a ruler for ₦3, and later got ₦10 from her friend. How much does she have now?
Step 1: Numbers → 20, 5, 3, 10
Step 2: Operations → subtraction (spent), addition (received)
Step 3: Expression → 20 − 5 − 3 + 10
Step 4: Solve → 20 − 5 = 15, 15 − 3 = 12, 12 + 10 = 22
Answer: Ngozi now has ₦22.
Think of word problems as stories with hidden math inside. Your job is to:
+, −, ×, ÷).
