Practice with word problems that need one subtraction step. These problems might ask what's 'left' after some are taken away, or ask for the 'difference' between two numbers.
There were \(15\) birds on a wire. \(6\) birds flew away. How many birds are left on the wire?
The keywords "flew away" and "left" mean you should subtract: \(15 - 6 = 9\). There are \(9\) birds left.
You have \(50\) cents. You buy a candy for \(25\) cents. How much money do you have left?
You spent money, so you subtract the cost from what you had: \(50 - 25 = 25\). You have \(25\) cents left.
A book has \(88\) pages. You have already read \(40\) pages. How many pages do you still need to read?
Subtract the pages you've read from the total to find what remains: \(88 - 40 = 48\). You still need to read \(48\) pages.
The classroom library has \(125\) books. Students checked out \(31\) books. How many books are still in the library?
Books were taken out, so subtract: \(125 - 31 = 94\). There are \(94\) books still in the library.
What is the difference between \(72\) and \(50\)?
The word "difference" always means to subtract the smaller number from the larger number: \(72 - 50 = 22\). The difference is \(22\).
The temperature was \(68\) degrees in the afternoon. It dropped to \(52\) degrees in the evening. By how many degrees did it decrease?
To find the decrease, you find the difference between the two temperatures: \(68 - 52 = 16\). The temperature decreased by \(16\) degrees.
A large pizza is cut into \(12\) slices. If you and your friends eat \(8\) slices, how many slices remain?
"Remain" is a keyword for subtraction. Start with the total and take away what was eaten: \(12 - 8 = 4\). There are \(4\) slices remaining.
Liam is \(48\) inches tall. His younger sister is \(36\) inches tall. How much taller is Liam than his sister?
This is a comparison. To find "how much taller," you subtract the shorter height from the taller height: \(48 - 36 = 12\). Liam is \(12\) inches taller.
