Maya has 9 stickers. She gives 4 to her friend. Which operation solves this?
AAddition, because stickers are being counted
BSubtraction, because stickers are being taken away
CAddition, because two numbers appear in the problem
DEither operation works equally well
The context — giving away — signals removal, which means subtraction: 9 - 4 = 5. The key is reading the situation, not just spotting numbers. Choosing addition because 'two numbers appear' is a common error; the operation must match the action described.
Question 2 True / False
You can usually figure out whether to add or subtract by looking for keywords like 'more' or 'left' in the problem.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Keywords are a helpful starting clue, but they can mislead. 'More' can appear in subtraction problems ('How many more does Sam have than Alex?') and 'left' can appear in contexts that don't mean subtraction. The reliable strategy is to understand the full situation — what is happening in the problem — rather than pattern-matching on single words.
Question 3 Short Answer
There are 6 apples in a bowl. After some are eaten, 2 remain. How many were eaten? Explain how you know which operation to use.
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Subtraction (or a missing-addend approach): 6 minus some number equals 2, so 6 - 4 = 2, meaning 4 were eaten.
The situation describes a starting amount, a change (eating), and a remaining amount — a removal context. Even though the unknown is the amount removed rather than the result, the structure is still subtraction. Students who recognize the situation type rather than hunting for keywords can handle this kind of 'missing change' problem correctly.