Subtraction word problems
The question
How many pencils does Zoe have left?
Zoe had 12 pencils and used 6 of them.
Zoe had 12 pencils and used 6 of them.
numbers:126
12 − 6
asked:How many pencils does Zoe have left?
12 − 6 =6
6 pencils
- Read the whole story first, before picking out numbers.
- The numbers are 12 and 6. What to do with them comes from the story.
- Some were taken away from what was there, and the question asks how many are left. So this one is a subtraction: 12 − 6.
- 12 − 6 = 6 pencils — that answers "How many pencils does Zoe have left?".
How it works.
- 01
Read the whole story first, before picking out numbers.
- 02
The numbers are 12 and 6. What to do with them comes from the story.
- 03
Some were taken away from what was there, and the question asks how many are left. So this one is a subtraction: 12 − 6.
- 04
12 − 6 = 6 pencils — that answers "How many pencils does Zoe have left?".