Writing Expressions Worksheets
Free printable writing algebraic expressions worksheets: turn phrases like 5 more than twice a number n into 2n + 5. With an answer key.
Each question is a phrase in words, and the answer is the expression it describes: 5 more than twice a number n is 2n + 5. The phrases use the words textbooks use - sum, difference, product, quotient, more than, less than, increased by, divided by - and each is worded so that it can be read only one way.
Half the kinds of phrase take one step, like the quotient of a number n and 4 (n ÷ 4), and half take two, like 3 less than the product of 4 and a number n (4n - 3). The twelve kinds are dealt evenly, so a page of 14 has every one at least once. Numbers run from 2 to 12, and a number that multiplies or divides is never more than 9. The letter varies from question to question, and the phrases can be printed in Spanish or French.
What this worksheet covers
- Write an algebraic expression from a phrase in words
- Tell from the wording which way round a subtraction or division goes
Common Core standards
- 6.EE.A.2a Write expressions that record operations with numbers and with letters standing for numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 5 less than a number n written n - 5?
Because it means start at n and come down 5. "Less than" turns the order round: the number said first is the one taken away. Only "a number n less than 5" is 5 - n. Reading it the other way is the most common mistake on these sheets.
Are other answers right too?
Yes, any expression equal to the key's. The sum of a number n and 5 is n + 5 or 5 + n, and 4 times the sum of a number n and 3 is 4(n + 3) or 4n + 12. The key keeps the bracket because the phrase builds one. For subtraction and division the order matters: 12 ÷ n is not n ÷ 12, though n ÷ 4 can also be written n/4.
Why do some phrases have a comma?
The comma shows where the first part ends. "The product of 4 and a number n, increased by 3" is 4n + 3. Without the comma it could also mean 4 times the sum of n and 3, so the sheets never print it without one.
What grade is writing expressions?
Sixth grade, at the start of algebra: putting words into symbols comes before evaluating expressions and solving equations. The evaluating expressions worksheets are the step after this one.