Word problems – Grade 3
Grade 3 word problems: identify useful information, choose an operation and write an answer with a unit. Create a free worksheet or try an online test.
🎯 What you will learn
- ✓Separate the question from the facts
- ✓Explain the operation and answer
💡 How it works
Can you calculate to 100 and use the times tables? Now turn everyday situations into calculations.
How it works
💡 Read → identify facts → calculate → write an answer sentence.
Read the question first: are you finding a total, a remainder or the size of equal groups? Mark only the numbers you need. Draw boxes to show the groups.
Use multiplication for equal groups and division for equal sharing. Do not choose an operation from a word such as “more” alone: consider which quantity is unknown. Check the answer against the story.
🧩 See the method
✍️ Worked examples
Worked examples 1
4 boxes each contain 6 pencils. How many pencils are there?
- 1.Find the total in 4 equal groups.
- 2.4 × 6 = 24
- 3.Check: 24 ÷ 4 = 6 pencils per box.
✓ 24 pencils
Worked examples 2
There are 32 children on a bus. 9 get off and 5 get on. How many are there now?
- 1.First children get off: 32 − 9 = 23.
- 2.Then children get on: 23 + 5 = 28.
- 3.There are 4 fewer than before: 32 − 4 = 28.
✓ 28 children
⚠️ Common mistakes
- • Adding every number even when something is removed. Retell the events first.
- • Answering only “28”. Say what was counted: 28 children.
📝 Try it yourself
1.
3 bags of 8 marbles: total?
Show answer
24 marbles: 3 × 8
2.
24 biscuits shared by 6 children: each?
Show answer
4 biscuits: 24 ÷ 6
3.
45 books, 17 borrowed: how many remain?
Show answer
28 books: 45 − 17
4.
18 red and 16 blue cards: total?
Show answer
34 cards: 18 + 16
5.
5 rows of 7 seats, 4 empty: how many occupied?
Show answer
31 seats: 5 × 7 − 4
6.
€12 saved, €8 received, €7 spent: remainder?
Show answer
13 €: 12 + 8 − 7
Create matching questions
Create a compact printable worksheet or start an online test.
Learn next
FAQ
Must I use every number?
No. An age or a time may be irrelevant. Use only the facts needed to answer the question.
When do I need two calculations?
When you need an intermediate result, such as all seats before finding occupied seats.