Year 1: Halves and quarters together
Part of the Year 1 halves and quarters chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Halves and quarters together
Some things are shared into two parts, and some into four parts. More parts means smaller parts. So one quarter is smaller than one half.
Look at the bars below. Two halves make one whole. Four quarters make one whole.
Key ideas
- Two halves make one whole.
- Four quarters make one whole.
- Two quarters make one half.
- A quarter is smaller than a half.
Method. Compare the two shares. The bigger share has more.
- Find the share for one half. Each share is a part of the same whole.one half: one half
- Find the share for one quarter. Compare it with the other share.one quarter: one quarter
- Decide which is bigger. The share with the bigger size has more.one half > one quarter
- Write the answer. one half has more, because the share is bigger.
Check. Put the two shares side by side to compare them. ✓
Watch out. Two halves make the whole, so a half is a big share. Do not think a bigger number always means a bigger share.
Method. Put the quarters together and see what they make.
- Put the 2 quarters together. Each quarter is one of the equal parts.one quarter + one quarter
- Compare with a whole. Find which share of the whole these make.= one half
- Write the answer. one half
Check. Draw the 2 quarters and fit them side by side. ✓
Watch out. Two quarters make one half. Four quarters make one whole.
Method. Compare the two shares. The bigger share has more.
- Find the share for Ravi. Each share is a part of the same whole.Ravi: one half
- Find the share for Aisha. Compare it with the other share.Aisha: one quarter
- Decide which is bigger. The share with the bigger size has more.Ravi > Aisha
- Write the answer. Ravi has more, because the share is bigger.
Check. Put the two shares side by side to compare them. ✓
Watch out. Two halves make the whole, so a half is a big share. Do not think a bigger number always means a bigger share.
Watch out
Watch out: a quarter is not bigger than a half, even though 4 is bigger than 2. More parts means smaller parts.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Cut a sandwich in half, then cut one half in half again. Ask: “Which piece is bigger?” and “How many of the small pieces make the big piece?”
Exercise 10F Halves and quarters together
Non-calculatorMethod. Compare the two shares. The bigger share has more.
- Find the share for one whole. Each share is a part of the same whole.one whole: one whole
- Find the share for one half. Compare it with the other share.one half: one half
- Decide which is bigger. The share with the bigger size has more.one whole > one half
- Write the answer. one whole has more, because the share is bigger.
Check. Put the two shares side by side to compare them. ✓
Watch out. Two halves make the whole, so a half is a big share. Do not think a bigger number always means a bigger share.
Method. Put the quarters together and see what they make.
- Put the 4 quarters together. Each quarter is one of the equal parts.one quarter + one quarter + one quarter + one quarter
- Compare with a whole. Find which share of the whole these make.= one whole
- Write the answer. one whole
Check. Draw the 4 quarters and fit them side by side. ✓
Watch out. Two quarters make one half. Four quarters make one whole.
Method. Look at each picture and find the one with one half shaded.
- Look at A. Count the equal parts and the shaded parts.A: 4 parts, equal, 1 shaded
- Look at B. Count the equal parts and the shaded parts.B: 2 parts, equal, 1 shaded
- Find the picture that matches. We want the picture with one half shaded.Matches: B
- Write the answer. B
Check. A do not match. ✓
Watch out. Count the equal parts first, then the shaded parts.
Method. Put the halves together and see what they make.
- Put the 2 halves together. Each half is one of the equal parts.one half + one half
- Compare with a whole. Find which share of the whole these make.= one whole
- Write the answer. one whole
Check. Draw the 2 halves and fit them side by side. ✓
Watch out. Two quarters make one half. Four quarters make one whole.
Method. Put the quarters together and see what they make.
- Put the 2 quarters together. Each quarter is one of the equal parts.one quarter + one quarter
- Compare with a whole. Find which share of the whole these make.= one half
- Write the answer. one half
Check. Draw the 2 quarters and fit them side by side. ✓
Watch out. Two quarters make one half. Four quarters make one whole.
Method. Compare the two shares. The bigger share has more.
- Find the share for Mei. Each share is a part of the same whole.Mei: one half
- Find the share for Tom. Compare it with the other share.Tom: one quarter
- Decide which is bigger. The share with the bigger size has more.Mei > Tom
- Write the answer. Mei has more, because the share is bigger.
Check. Put the two shares side by side to compare them. ✓
Watch out. Two halves make the whole, so a half is a big share. Do not think a bigger number always means a bigger share.
Method. Compare the two shares. The bigger share has more.
- Find the share for Lena. Each share is a part of the same whole.Lena: one half
- Find the share for Tom. Compare it with the other share.Tom: one half
- Decide which is bigger. The share with the bigger size has more.Lena = Tom
- Write the answer. They have the same amount.
Check. Put the two shares side by side to compare them. ✓
Watch out. Two halves make the whole, so a half is a big share. Do not think a bigger number always means a bigger share.
Method. Compare the number of equal parts, not just the numbers.
- Look at a quarter. A quarter is one of four equal parts.Four parts
- Look at a half. A half is one of two equal parts.Two parts
- Compare the sizes. More equal parts means each part is smaller.A quarter is smaller than a half.
- Write the answer. No. A quarter is smaller than a half.
Check. Two quarters make one half, so a half is bigger than a quarter. ✓
Watch out. Four is a bigger number than two, but a quarter is the smaller share.
Method. The smallest share has the most equal parts. A whole is the biggest.
- Find the size of each share. A quarter is smallest. A whole is biggest.one whole, one quarter, one half
- Put them in order, smallest first. Start with the smallest share.one quarter, one half, one whole
- Write the answer. one quarter, one half, one whole
Check. Check: a quarter is smaller than a half, and a half is smaller than a whole. ✓
Watch out. The more equal parts a shape is cut into, the smaller each part is.
Method. Compare the two shaded parts. Then find how much more one of them is.
- Look at Ravi. Ravi shades one of four equal parts.Ravi: one quarter
- Look at Tom. Tom shades one of two equal parts.Tom: one half
- Find the difference. Take the smaller share away from the bigger one.one half − one quarter = one quarter
- Write the answer. Tom. He shades one quarter more.
Check. A half is two quarters, so Tom has one more quarter than Ravi. ✓
Watch out. Compare the shares of the same size shape.