Arithmetic Grade Five

Lesson Thirty-eight: Word Problems


Jill borrows $10 from her parents to start a business selling cookies. After three days she makes $8 which she pays back to her parents. How much does she still owe her parents?


	-10 + 8 = -2

We represent the amount she borrows with a negative number since she must pay that back to her parents. She pays eight dollars back to her parents. We represent that with a positive number. This gives us the amount she still owes.

Jill borrows an additional ten dollars since she thinks that she can sell more cookies this time. How much does Jill now owe her parents?


	-2 + -10 = -12

We represent the amount she already owes with a negative number. We then add the amount that she borrows (represented as a negative number) to this debt.

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