A long word problem usually fails before the first equation, when the target of the question is misread. Four quick questions, asked in order, fix most of it.
This page belongs to SPM Mathematics and pairs with why translating a word problem feels impossible.
What are the four questions?
Ask them before you write a single symbol.
- What exactly is the question asking for, and in which unit?
- What is given, in my own short words?
- Which given numbers will my plan use, and which are left over?
- What would a sensible answer look like: size, sign, whole number or not?
Write the answers in the margin in under a minute. The margin notes become your first marks of working.
Worked example: a problem that looks fine until the check
An original problem: a canteen sells nasi lemak at RM3.50 and teh tarik at RM2. On Monday it sold 60 items and took RM150. How many plates of nasi lemak were sold?
Run the check. The target is the number of plates, a whole number. The givens are the two prices, 60 items in total and RM150 in total. All four numbers are used, and the answer must lie between 0 and 60.
Let n be the plates of nasi lemak, so teh tarik is 60 − n. Then 3.5n + 2(60 − n) = 150, so 1.5n + 120 = 150, so n = 20.
Where does the usual mistake come from?
A student who skips the check might write 3.5n + 2n = 150, using n for both items. That gives n = 150 ÷ 5.5 = 27.27, which is not a whole number of plates.
The repair is the question-two step: writing “nasi lemak = n, teh tarik = 60 − n” forces the total of 60 items into the equation. Question four then confirms the result: 20 plates sits between 0 and 60, and 3.5 × 20 + 2 × 40 = 70 + 80 = 150.
A self-check for your next problem
Take any word problem from your school workbook and cover the solution. Write the four answers first, then solve. Afterwards note which of the four questions you would have skipped, in the mistake log tool, so the pattern shows over a few weeks.
If the translation step is where you stall, the algebra step repair trainer gives short drills on turning sentences into expressions.
When might one-to-one tuition help?
If you run the four questions and still cannot decide what the target is, the gap is usually in reading mathematical English, not in algebra. A teacher can watch you read a question aloud and point to the exact phrase that changed meaning.
You can start with the one-hour trial class (from RM50), which is a real taught lesson, and work through your own word problems. The fee is agreed before the trial, and afterwards you decide whether the teacher is a good fit. More on this is at SPM Mathematics one-to-one tuition.