Solving Word Problems with Regrouping

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What are some keywords in a story problem that often tell you to subtract?

"how many are left?", "take away", "difference", "minus", "how many more...than...", "remain".

Maria had $52$ stickers. She gave $25$ stickers to her friend. How many stickers does Maria have left?

She has $27$ stickers left. $$52 - 25 = 27$$

There are $41$ birds in a tree. $18$ of them fly away. How many birds are still in the tree?

There are $23$ birds still in the tree. $$41 - 18 = 23$$

Leo baked $60$ cookies for a bake sale. He sold $48$ of them. How many cookies were not sold?

$12$ cookies were not sold. $$60 - 48 = 12$$

The library has $85$ books about dinosaurs. Students check out $39$ of them. How many dinosaur books are left on the shelves?

There are $46$ dinosaur books left. $$85 - 39 = 46$$

A farmer picked $73$ apples. He used $28$ apples to make pies. How many apples does he have now?

The farmer has $45$ apples now. $$73 - 28 = 45$$

Jamal wants to collect $64$ trading cards. He already has $37$. How many more cards does he need to complete his collection?

He needs $27$ more cards. ($64 - 37 = 27$)

A bus has $50$ seats. There are $19$ students on the bus. How many seats are empty?

There are $31$ empty seats. $$50 - 19 = 31$$