Math Practice Problems - Basic Word Problems

Basic Word Problems - Sample Math Practice Problems

The math problems below can be generated by MathScore.com, a math practice program for schools and individual families. References to complexity and mode refer to the overall difficulty of the problems as they appear in the main program. In the main program, all problems are automatically graded and the difficulty adapts dynamically based on performance. Answers to these sample questions appear at the bottom of the page. This page does not grade your responses.

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Complexity=5, Mode=addOnly

Solve.

1. I have 1 notebook. Maria gives me 5 more.
How many total notebooks do I have?
notebooks

2. Jennifer has 2 pencils. Jose gives her 4 more.
How many total pencils does Jennifer has?
pencils

Complexity=9, Mode=addOnly

Solve.

1. There are 7 carrots and 2 eggplants on a table.
How many vegetables are there?
vegetables

2. Cindy has 6 notebooks. Maria gives her 8 more.
How many total notebooks does Cindy has?
notebooks

Complexity=5, Mode=subOnly

Solve.

1. There are 6 pieces of fruit on a table. Two are
apples and the rest are bananas. How many
bananas are there?
bananas

2. There are 9 animals in a zoo. Five are giraffes
and the rest are alligators. How many alligators
are there?
alligators

Complexity=9, Mode=subOnly

Solve.

1. Sharon sees 11 animals in a zoo. Seven are
zebras and the rest are tigers. How many tigers
are there?
tigers

2. John sees 10 vegetables in a sink. Three are
cucumbers and the rest are onions. How many
onions are there?
onions

Complexity=9, Mode=AddSub

Solve.

1. There are 2 children and 9 babies on a bus.
How many people are there?
people

2. There are 2 apples and 3 oranges in a basket.
How many pieces of fruit are there?
pieces of fruit

Complexity=9, Mode=advAdd

Solve.

1. There are 8 blue gems, 9 green gems, and 4 black
gems on a bracelet. How many black and green
gems are there?
gems

2. Tiffany collects 2 bottle caps in May, 5 bottle
caps in June, and 7 bottle caps in July. How
many bottle caps did she collect altogether?
bottle caps

Complexity=9, Mode=advSub

Solve.

1. There are 20 caps in a closet. Eight are white
and 8 are brown. The rest are violet. How many
violet caps are there?
caps

2. There are 16 party hats at a party. Three are
yellow and 4 are purple. The rest are black.
How many black party hats are there?
party hats

Complexity=9, Mode=advAddSub

Solve.

1. Cindy has 8 golf balls. Paul gives her more.
Now Cindy has 13 golf balls. How many golf balls
did Paul give her?
golf balls

2. Jose practices 1 hour of baseball on Saturday, 7
hours of baseball on Sunday, and 1 hour of
baseball on Monday. How many hours of baseball
did he practice altogether?
hours of baseball

Answers

Complexity=5, Mode=addOnly

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

I have 1 notebook. Maria gives me 5 more.
How many total notebooks do I have?

notebooks

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Total number of notebooks I have.
What information are you given?
  I have 1 notebook.  
  I get 5 more notebooks from Maria.
Which operation should you use?
  The key word total in the question implies addition (+).
Equation
  1 + 5 = 6

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

Jennifer has 2 pencils. Jose gives her 4 more.
How many total pencils does Jennifer has?

pencils

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Total number of pencils Jennifer has.
What information are you given?
  Jennifer has 2 pencils.  
  She gets 4 more pencils from Jose.
Which operation should you use?
  The key word total in the question implies addition (+).
Equation
  2 + 4 = 6

Complexity=9, Mode=addOnly

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 7 carrots and 2 eggplants on a table.
How many vegetables are there?

vegetables

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Total number of vegetables.
What information are you given?
  There are 7 carrots and 2 eggplants.
  Carrots and eggplants are vegetables.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the amount in the two groups but not the total, this implies addition (+).
Equation
  7 + 2 = 9

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

Cindy has 6 notebooks. Maria gives her 8 more.
How many total notebooks does Cindy has?

notebooks

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Total number of notebooks Cindy has.
What information are you given?
  Cindy has 6 notebooks.  
  She gets 8 more notebooks from Maria.
Which operation should you use?
  The key word total in the question implies addition (+).
Equation
  6 + 8 = 14

Complexity=5, Mode=subOnly

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 6 pieces of fruit on a table. Two are
apples and the rest are bananas. How many
bananas are there?

bananas

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of bananas.
What information are you given?
  Out of 6 pieces of fruit, 2 are apples.
  The rest are bananas.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in one of the two groups, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  6 - 2 = 4

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 9 animals in a zoo. Five are giraffes
and the rest are alligators. How many alligators
are there?

alligators

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of alligators.
What information are you given?
  Out of 9 animals, 5 are giraffes.
  The rest are alligators.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in one of the two groups, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  9 - 5 = 4

Complexity=9, Mode=subOnly

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

Sharon sees 11 animals in a zoo. Seven are
zebras and the rest are tigers. How many tigers
are there?

tigers

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of tigers.
What information are you given?
  Out of 11 animals, 7 are zebras.
  The rest are tigers.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in one of the two groups, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  11 - 7 = 4

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

John sees 10 vegetables in a sink. Three are
cucumbers and the rest are onions. How many
onions are there?

onions

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of onions.
What information are you given?
  Out of 10 vegetables, 3 are cucumbers.
  The rest are onions.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in one of the two groups, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  10 - 3 = 7

Complexity=9, Mode=AddSub

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 2 children and 9 babies on a bus.
How many people are there?

people

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Total number of people.
What information are you given?
  There are 2 children and 9 babies.
  Children and babies are people.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the amount in the two groups but not the total, this implies addition (+).
Equation
  2 + 9 = 11

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 2 apples and 3 oranges in a basket.
How many pieces of fruit are there?

pieces of fruit

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Total number of pieces of fruit.
What information are you given?
  There are 2 apples and 3 oranges.
  Apples and oranges are pieces of fruit.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the amount in the two groups but not the total, this implies addition (+).
Equation
  2 + 3 = 5

Complexity=9, Mode=advAdd

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 8 blue gems, 9 green gems, and 4 black
gems on a bracelet. How many black and green
gems are there?

gems

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of black and green gems.
What information are you given?
  There are 4 black gems.
  There are 9 green gems.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the amount in the two groups but not the total, this implies addition (+).
Equation
  4 + 9 = 13

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

Tiffany collects 2 bottle caps in May, 5 bottle
caps in June, and 7 bottle caps in July. How
many bottle caps did she collect altogether?

bottle caps

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of bottle caps Tiffany collected altogether.
What information are you given?
  Tiffany collected 2 bottle caps in May.
  She collected 5 bottle caps in June.
  She collected 7 bottle caps in July.
Which operation should you use?
  The key word altogether in the question implies addition (+).
Equation
  2 + 5 + 7 = 14

Complexity=9, Mode=advSub

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 20 caps in a closet. Eight are white
and 8 are brown. The rest are violet. How many
violet caps are there?

caps

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of violet caps.
What information are you given?
  Out of 20 caps, 8 are white and 8 are brown.
  The rest are violet.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in all but one group, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  20 - 8 - 8 = 4

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

There are 16 party hats at a party. Three are
yellow and 4 are purple. The rest are black.
How many black party hats are there?

party hats

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of black party hats.
What information are you given?
  Out of 16 party hats, 3 are yellow and 4 are purple.
  The rest are black.
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in all but one group, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  16 - 3 - 4 = 9

Complexity=9, Mode=advAddSub

Solve.

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

Cindy has 8 golf balls. Paul gives her more.
Now Cindy has 13 golf balls. How many golf balls
did Paul give her?

golf balls

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of golf balls Paul gave Cindy.
What information are you given?
  Cindy started with 8 golf balls.
  She ended up with 13 golf balls
Which operation should you use?
  Since you know the total and the amount in one out of two groups, this implies subtraction (-).
Equation
  13 - 8 = 5

Problem

Correct Answer

Your Answer

Jose practices 1 hour of baseball on Saturday, 7
hours of baseball on Sunday, and 1 hour of
baseball on Monday. How many hours of baseball
did he practice altogether?

hours of baseball

Solution

What is the problem asking for?
  Number of hours of baseball Jose practiced altogether.
What information are you given?
  Jose practiced 1 hour of baseball on Saturday.
  He practiced 7 hours of baseball on Sunday.
  He practiced 1 hour of baseball on Monday.
Which operation should you use?
  The key word altogether in the question implies addition (+).
Equation
  1 + 7 + 1 = 9

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