Set Up the Equation
📋 What it is
The hardest part of a word problem is translating the words into an equation; a variable stands for the unknown.
🗣️ Coach says
Most word-problem mistakes happen BEFORE any arithmetic — in the setup. Let a letter stand for what you’re looking for, then turn each sentence into maths. “Twice a number plus 3 is 11” → 2n + 3 = 11. Translate first, solve second.
🧠 Memory hook
Let a letter = the unknown, then turn each sentence into an equation. Translate, then solve.
😂 Giggle
Why did 5 love multiplying by even numbers?
Because the answer always ends in a nice round 0!
😲 Whoa!
Studies show most word-problem errors come from mis-translating the words, not from the arithmetic — the setup is where the real thinking is.
✅ Quick check: Turn “5 more than twice a number is 17” into an equation (let the number be n).
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
2n + 5 = 17 — “twice a number” = 2n, “5 more than” = +5, “is 17” = = 17.
Each phrase maps to a piece of the equation; translating carefully is the key step.
🪄 Trick question: Should you start a word problem by doing arithmetic on the numbers you see?
Careful — think it through, then reveal.
No — first translate the words into an equation; jumping to arithmetic before setup is the #1 mistake.
The setup determines whether the arithmetic even answers the question.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Take a sentence like “3 less than a number is 8” and write it as an equation. Then solve it.
🔎 How did you work this?