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EXAMPLES & SOLUTIONS
Anchor 1
Knowing the key terms in expressions can give hints on how to understand a word problem.
Key words assist in converting verbal expressions to algebraic expressions.
Certain key phrases assist in solving word problems.
Understanding how to read expressions is essential to solving word problems.
KEY WORDS
Understanding key words in expressions
Verbal
Expression
ADDITION
Algebraic
Expression
altogether
increase
plus
more
sum
combine
total
Verbal
Expression
SUBTRACT
Algebraic
Expression
difference
decrease
less
fewer
reduce
minus
less than
Verbal
Expression
MULTIPLY
Algebraic
Expression
per
times
product
double
triple
Verbal
Expression
DIVIDE
Algebraic
Expression
quotient
divide into
divided by
share
Basic Word Problem Expressions
Examples of key phrases in word problem expressions
Basic Word Problem
five more than x
x times as many as 4
3/4 of a number plus 3
x less than 2
triple the number
decreased by x
3 times the sum of a number and 5
2 decreased by 2 times a number
7 plus the product of 9 and w
2 times a number added to 5
Expression
x + 5
4x
4
x + 3
3
2 - x
3x
-x
3 (n + 5)
2n - 2
9w + 7
2x + 5
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