REVIEW IN MPE 100

CONVERTING WORDED PROBLEM

INTO MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION
OR EQUATION
 Words Phrases Expressions
Addition
the sum of 5 and a number 5+n
sum, total, more than, the sum of x and y x+y
added, increased, plus add x to y x+y
twelve added to a number 12 + x
Add, Added to, the y added to 7 7+y
sum of, more the sum of a and b a+b
than, increased by, the m more than n n+m
total of, x more than y y+x
plus 3 more than a number x+3
p increased by 10 p + 10
a total of six and some number 6+x
The total of q and 10 q + 10
9 plus m 9+m
 Words Phrases Expressions
Subtraction 12 decreased by a number 12 – n
Subtract x from y y–x
less, minus, decreased Six subtracted from a number x–6
by, difference, less than From x, subtract y x–y
the difference between x and 7 x –7
Subtract, subtract from, the difference of 7 and x 7–x
difference, between, the difference of x and y x–y
less, less 10 less m 10 – m
than, decreased by, 10 less than m m – 10
diminished x less than y y–x
by, take away, reduced p decreased by 11 p – 11
8 diminished by w 8–w
y take away z y–z
p reduced by 6 p–6
x exceeds y x–y
 Words Phrases Expressions
Multiplication the product of a number and 2 2x
product, times, the product of x and y xy
multiplied, of The produce of fourteen and a
14x
number
Multiply, times, the 2/3 of a number 2
n
product of, 3
7 times y 7y
multiplied by, times as
The product of x and y xy
much, of
5 multiplied by y 5y
one-fifth of p 1
p
5
Three-fourths of a number ¾x
 Words Phrases Expressions
Division 15
15 divided by a number
Quotient, divided by, n
divided into x
the quotient of number and 4
4
The quotient of a seven and a
7/x
number
x
Divide x by 6 or x ÷ 6
6
x
7 divides x or x ÷ 7
7
The ratio of a number to fifteen x/15
Ten divided by a number 10/x
7 divided by x 7
or 7 ÷ x
x
 Words Phrases Expressions
Combined the sum of x and the difference of y and z x + (y – z)
Operations
the sum of x and the sum of y and z x + (y + z)
the product of x and the sum of y and z x(y + z)
the product of x and the difference of y and z x(y – z)
the difference of the product of x and y and z xy – z
the product of the sum of x and y and the
(x + y)(x – y)
difference of x and y
 Words Phrases Expressions
Combined the product of x and the sum of y and z x(y + z)
Operations the sum of the product of x and y and the
xy + xz
product of x and z
the product of z and the difference of x and y z (x – y)
the sum of the sum of x and z and the
( x + z) + (y – z)
difference of y and z
Twice a number minus eight 2x – 8
Five times the sum of a number and four 5(x + 4)
The difference between six and a number
(6 –x)/9
divided by nine
Four times the sum of twelve and y 4(12+y)
Six less than twice a number is forty five. 2x – 6 = 45
A number minus seven yields ten x – 7 = 10
 Words Phrases Expressions
Combined Eight times a number is forty-eight 8x = 48
Operations The quotient of a number and seven is two x/7 = 2
The product of a number and ten is eighty 10x = 80
Eight less than a number is five x–8=5
How many times do five go into twenty? 20/5 = x
Twelve added to a number is the same as
x + 12 = 8
eight
Three times a number equals fifteen 3x = 15
Twice the difference of a number and three
2(x-3) = 12
totals twelve
AGE PROBLEM
Rick is 10 years older than his brother Jeff. In 4 years,
Rick will be twice as old as Jeff.

R = J + 10
R + 4 = 2(J + 4)
A father is 4 times as old as his son. In 20 years, the father
will be twice as old as his son.

F = 4S
F + 20 = 2(S + 20)
Pat is 20 years older than his son James. In two years, Pat
will be twice as old as James.

P = J + 20
P + 2 = 2(J + 2)
Diane is 23 years older than her daughter Amy. In 6 years,
Diane will be twice as old as Amy.

D = A + 23
D + 6 = 2(A + 6)
Fred is 4 years older than Barney. Five years ago, the sum
of their ages was 48.

F=B+4
F − 5 + B − 5 = 48
John is four times as old as Martha. Five years ago, the
sum of their ages was 50.

F = 4M
J − 5 + M − 5 = 50
Tim is 5 years older than JoAnn. Six years from now, the
sum of their ages will be 79.

T=5+J
T + 6 + J + 6 = 79
Jack is twice as old as Lacy. In three years, the sum of
their ages will be 54.

J = 2L
J + 3 + L + 3 = 54
The sum of the ages of John and Mary is 32. Four years
ago, John was twice as old as Mary.

J + M = 32
J − 4 = 2(M − 4)
The sum of the ages of a father and son is 56. Four years
ago, the father was 3 times as old as the son

F + S = 56
F − 4 = 3(S − 4)
The sum of the ages of a wood plaque and a bronze
plaque is 20 years. Four years ago, the bronze plaque was
one-half the age of the wood plaque.

w + b = 20
1
b − 4 = (w − 4)
2
A man is 36 years old and his daughter is 3. In how many
years will the man be 4 times as old as his daughter?

M = 36 ; D=3

M + t = 4(D + t)
36 + t = 4(3 + t)
Bob’s age is twice that of Barry’s. Five years ago, Bob
was three times older than Barry. Find the age of both.

Bo = 2By
Bo − 5 = 3(By − 5)
A pitcher is 30 years old, and a vase is 22 years old. How
many years ago was the pitcher twice as old as the vase?

P = 30 ; V = 22

P − t = 2(V − t)
30 − t = 2(22 − t)
Marge is twice as old as Consuelo. The sum of their ages
seven years ago was 13. How old are they now?

M = 2C
M − 7 + C − 7 = 13
The sum of Jason and Mandy’s ages is 35. Ten years ago,
Jason was double Mandy’s age. How old are they now?

J + M = 35
(J − 10) = 2(M − 10)
A silver coin is 28 years older than a bronze coin. In 6
years, the silver coin will be twice as old as the bronze
coin. Find the present age of each coin.

S = B + 28
S + 6 = 2(B + 6)
The sum of Clyde and Wendy’s ages is 64. In four years,
Wendy will be three times as old as Clyde. How old are
they now?

C + W = 64
W + 4 = 3(C + 4)
A sofa is 12 years old and a table is 36 years old. In how
many years will the table be twice as old as the sofa?

S = 12 ; T = 36

T + t = 2(S + t)
36 + t = 2(12 + t)
A father is three times as old as his son, and his daughter
is 3 years younger than his son. If the sum of all three
ages 3 years ago was 63 years, find the present age of the
father.

F = 3S
D=S−3
F − 3 + D − 3 + S − 3 = 63