MathPractice
Fractions · Grade 5

Fraction addition and subtraction word problems

Turn a story into a fraction calculation. Choose the operation, estimate, solve, and explain what the answer measures.

Grade 58 questions per setNo account needed
Practice 8 questions Download worksheet

US Letter PDF · A4 version · Answer key

What we’re working onSolve addition and subtraction stories with fractions or mixed numbers and consistent measurement units.

First page of the Fraction word problems worksheet, with visible questions and room to work.Open worksheet PDF · 8 questions · US Letter
See how it works

Worked examples

Example 1

How much ribbon remains?

A ribbon is 1 1/2 meters long. A crafter cuts off 2/3 meter. How much ribbon remains?

  1. Cutting off a length calls for subtraction: 1 1/2 − 2/3.
  2. Since 2/3 is greater than 1/2 but less than 1, the remaining length is less than 1 meter and greater than 1/2 meter.
  3. Rename in sixths: 1 1/2 = 9/6 and 2/3 = 4/6. Subtract to get 5/6.
  4. The answer is a length of ribbon, so keep meters as the unit.

5/6 meter remains.

Example 2

Find the total distance

A walker travels 3/4 mile on one path, then 2/3 mile on another. How far does the walker travel altogether?

  1. The two path lengths are joined in the total, so add 3/4 + 2/3.
  2. Each length is greater than 1/2 mile and less than 1 mile, so the total is between 1 and 2 miles.
  3. Rename in twelfths: 3/4 = 9/12 and 2/3 = 8/12. The total is 17/12.
  4. Seventeen twelfths is 1 5/12. The unit is miles.

1 5/12 miles altogether.

A question from this worksheet

Two ribbon lengths measure 1 3/10 meters and 3/8 meters. What is their total length in meters?

See the explanation

67/40

1 3/10 + 3/8 = 52/40 + 15/40 = 67/40 = 1 27/40. The answer is in meters.

Choose how to practice

Pick the support you need.

Each set has eight questions. The online practice and prepared worksheet use the same questions.

Need a different version or paper size? Customize a worksheet

For the grown-up beside them

Help the thinking along.

A useful question

What is happening to the amount? What are we trying to find, and what unit will the answer use?

What to look for

The learner chooses the operation from the relationship in the story, estimates, and gives a sensible answer with a unit.

A common sticking point

Choosing an operation from a single keyword without considering which quantity is unknown.

Help without giving the answer

Sketch one bar for the total and label the known parts. Ask which part of the drawing the question is asking for.

Keep the words clear

Words in this skill.

quantity
An amount that can be counted or measured.
unit
The measure used for an amount, such as a meter or a mile.
estimate
A useful approximate amount or range.
difference
The result of subtracting one amount from another.

What these sets cover.

  • Start with one operation and the same unit throughout each story.
  • Introduce mixed-number stories after practicing mixed-number calculations.
  • This set does not require unit conversions, multiplication, or division of fractions.

Common questions

Does the word more always mean add?

No. A story might ask how much more one amount is than another; that compares two amounts by subtraction. Read the relationship and identify the unknown.

Why should I keep the unit in my answer?

The number alone does not say what was measured. Five sixths of a meter describes a length; five sixths of a cup describes a different kind of amount.

Related standards: 5.NF.2. These materials focus on this skill, not every part of a grade-level curriculum. How we check materials.