Step-by-step Maths Level 4: Two-step problems
Part of the Step-by-step Maths Level 4 solving problems with the four operations chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Two-step problems
A two-step problem needs two operations, in order. Find the first answer, write it down, then use it for the second step.
Look at the words that come first in the question. They often give the first step.
Key ideas
- Do the first step, then the second.
- Write the answer of the first step before you go on.
- Check each step makes sense.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the first step. The packs have equal groups, so multiply.4 × 25 = 100
- Find the second step. Add the loose stickers to the total of the packs.100 + 13 = 113
- Write the answer. This is the total altogether.113
Check. Check: 113 - 13 = 100, and 100 is 4 packs of 25.
Watch out. Do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: divide, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Share the first amount. Equal sharing is division.96 ÷ 8 = 12
- Add the extra in each bag. Each bag gets 5 more.12 + 5 = 17
- Write the answer. This is the number in each bag now.17
Check. Check: 17 - 5 = 12, and 8 × 12 = 96.
Watch out. Work out the first step before you add the extra cards.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total in the boxes. Equal groups: multiply.6 × 35 = 210
- Take away the lost ones. The question asks what is left, so subtract.210 - 48 = 162
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.162
Check. Check: 162 + 48 = 210.
Watch out. Multiply first, because the boxes have equal groups.
Watch out
Watch out. Do not use the total of the question for the first step if the question gives you a different number first.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask the child to draw the first step on paper, then write the answer before the second step.
Exercise 9B Practice: two-step problems
Non-calculatorMethod. Solve in two steps: divide, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Share the first amount. Equal sharing is division.230 ÷ 5 = 46
- Add the extra in each bag. Each bag gets 18 more.46 + 18 = 64
- Write the answer. This is the number in each bag now.64
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: divide, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Share the first amount. Equal sharing is division.95 ÷ 5 = 19
- Add the extra in each bag. Each bag gets 6 more.19 + 6 = 25
- Write the answer. This is the number in each bag now.25
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total given away. The friends get equal groups, so multiply.4 × 17 = 68
- Take away what was given. Subtract the amount given away from the total.70 - 68 = 2
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.2
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the first step. The packs have equal groups, so multiply.6 × 18 = 108
- Find the second step. Add the loose ones to the total of the packs.108 + 46 = 154
- Write the answer. This is the total altogether.154
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total given away. The friends get equal groups, so multiply.2 × 47 = 94
- Take away what was given. Subtract the amount given away from the total.141 - 94 = 47
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.47
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total given away. The friends get equal groups, so multiply.2 × 10 = 20
- Take away what was given. Subtract the amount given away from the total.42 - 20 = 22
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.22
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: divide, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Share the first amount. Equal sharing is division.48 ÷ 2 = 24
- Add the extra in each bag. Each bag gets 16 more.24 + 16 = 40
- Write the answer. This is the number in each bag now.40
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total in the boxes. Equal groups: multiply.9 × 33 = 297
- Take away the lost ones. The question asks what is left, so subtract.297 - 181 = 116
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.116
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total in the boxes. Equal groups: multiply.9 × 26 = 234
- Take away the lost ones. The question asks what is left, so subtract.234 - 215 = 19
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.19
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the first step. The packs have equal groups, so multiply.3 × 29 = 87
- Find the second step. Add the loose ones to the total of the packs.87 + 55 = 142
- Write the answer. This is the total altogether.142
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total in the boxes. Equal groups: multiply.9 × 26 = 234
- Take away the lost ones. The question asks what is left, so subtract.234 - 184 = 50
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.50
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: divide, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Share the first amount. Equal sharing is division.75 ÷ 3 = 25
- Add the extra in each bag. Each bag gets 2 more.25 + 2 = 27
- Write the answer. This is the number in each bag now.27
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total given away. The friends get equal groups, so multiply.6 × 47 = 282
- Take away what was given. Subtract the amount given away from the total.320 - 282 = 38
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.38
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the first step. The packs have equal groups, so multiply.5 × 11 = 55
- Find the second step. Add the loose ones to the total of the packs.55 + 30 = 85
- Write the answer. This is the total altogether.85
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: multiply, then subtract. Check the first step before the second.
- Find the total in the boxes. Equal groups: multiply.8 × 39 = 312
- Take away the lost ones. The question asks what is left, so subtract.312 - 118 = 194
- Write the answer. This is how many are left.194
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.
Method. Solve in two steps: divide, then add. Check the first step before the second.
- Share the first amount. Equal sharing is division.66 ÷ 2 = 33
- Add the extra in each bag. Each bag gets 12 more.33 + 12 = 45
- Write the answer. This is the number in each bag now.45
Check. Check: work backwards from your answer to see if the story makes sense.
Watch out. In a two-step problem, do the first step, write the answer, then use it in the second step.