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What a word problem is made of
Textbook Part 3, pp. 4–5
GoalIdentify the condition, question, solution and answer in a word problem.
New words
word problem · masalacondition (the given facts) · shartquestion · savolsolution · yechimanswer · javob
Explanation
A word problem is a text with a condition and a question. The condition gives the known numbers and the situation. The question says what to find. The solution is the expression and calculation that answer it. The answer replies to the question in a full sentence. A text with no question is not a problem — it is just a story.
Worked examples
Condition: The teacher prepared 12 colour and 7 black-and-white pictures. Question: How many pictures in all? Solution: 12 + 7 = 19. Answer: 19 pictures.
“A school has 33 big rooms and 22 small rooms” is only a condition. Add a question: “How many rooms in all?” → 33 + 22 = 55.
Class activity
The teacher hands out conditions and questions on separate cards. Pairs match each condition to its question and solve the problem.
Practice
1
A class has 12 girls and 23 boys. How many more boys than girls?
11
2
A plate has 12 apples and 7 fewer pears. How many pears?
5
3
Pupils solved 4 word problems and 12 sums. How many tasks in all?
16
4
“There were 8 birds in a tree.” Is this a word problem?
No, it has no question