A word problem is a short story containing numbers, and we're asked to understand the story and turn it into a math operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to solve it.
To solve any word problem, follow three steps: first, read carefully and understand what it tells you and what it asks. Second, decide the right operation (add or subtract?). Third, solve it and write the answer as a full sentence.
Example: “Sara has 5 apples, gives her sister 2, how many are left?” — Sara gave part of her apples away, so this means subtraction: 5 - 2 = 3. Answer: Sara has 3 apples left. Words like “gave” or “took away” usually signal subtraction, while words like “bought” or “received” usually signal addition.
