Questions: Word Problems: Addition and Subtraction

Question 1

Ava has 8 stickers. Ben has 5 stickers. How many more stickers does Ava have than Ben? Which operation should you use?

• A. Addition — you need to find the total number of stickers they have together
• B. Addition — the word 'more' always signals addition
• C. Subtraction — you are comparing two amounts to find the difference
• D. You cannot tell without drawing a picture first

Answer: (C)

This is a comparison problem — no one gained or lost stickers, but you need to find the difference between two amounts, which requires subtraction: 8 − 5 = 3. The word 'more' is the tricky part: in everyday speech 'more' often connects to adding, but 'how many more' in a word problem is asking for the gap between two quantities, which is always subtraction. The operation depends on the situation, not just one signal word.

Question 2

Tom had 9 cookies. He gave 4 to his sister. Which equation solves this problem?

• A. 4 + 9 = 13 — add to find how many cookies there are in total
• B. 9 − 4 = 5 — subtract because Tom gave some away
• C. 9 + 4 = 13 — the word 'gave' means you combine two groups
• D. 4 − 9 — start with what was given and take away the original amount

Answer: (B)

Giving something away is a removal — you start with 9 and take away 4, leaving 5. The phrase 'gave away' is a subtraction signal: something left the original group. Option A is tempting if you misread the problem as asking for a total, but no new cookies appeared — some were removed. Option C confuses 'gave' with 'combined.' Option D reverses the order, which doesn't match the story.

Question 3

The words 'how many fewer' signal that subtraction is needed to solve a word problem.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

'How many fewer' compares two amounts and asks for the difference — that's subtraction. For example, 'Mia has 7 crayons. Jay has 4. How many fewer does Jay have?' → 7 − 4 = 3. Comparison phrases like 'how many fewer,' 'how many more,' and 'what is the difference' all call for subtraction, even when nothing is physically taken away.

Question 4

If you see the word 'more' in a word problem, you should usually use addition.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

'More' can appear in both addition and subtraction contexts. 'She got 3 more apples' signals addition (joining). But 'How many more apples does she have than him?' signals subtraction (comparing). Signal words are useful clues, but the reliable strategy is to read the whole situation and ask: is something being combined, or is something being taken away or compared? Signal words alone can mislead you.

Question 5

How do you decide whether a word problem needs addition or subtraction?

Model answer: Read the story carefully and ask what is happening: if things are being joined or combined, use addition; if something is being taken away or two amounts are being compared to find the difference, use subtraction.

Identifying the operation is about understanding the situation, not just spotting a keyword. A useful habit is to look for signal words (altogether/total/in all → add; left/gave away/fewer/how many more → subtract) AND to picture what is actually happening in the story. Comparison problems ('how many more/fewer') are especially tricky because nothing moves — yet subtraction is the right tool.