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One-step equation word problems: subtraction

Year 7 maths · Fieldbook Learning

Name ______________________ Date __________

Think of an equation for the story, then solve it.

  1. A tank had some water. After 3 L were used, 4 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  2. A tank had some water. After 10 L were used, 13 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  3. A tank had some water. After 12 L were used, 3 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  4. A tank had some water. After 13 L were used, 16 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  5. A tank had some water. After 32 L were used, 20 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  6. A tank had some water. After 40 L were used, 11 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  7. A tank had some water. After 37 L were used, 40 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  8. A tank had some water. After 49 L were used, 10 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  9. A tank had some water. After 44 L were used, 8 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  10. A tank had some water. After 85 L were used, 16 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  11. A tank had some water. After 6 L were used, 75 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  12. A tank had some water. After 5 L were used, 81 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  13. A tank had some water. After 274 L were used, 248 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  14. A tank had some water. After 35 L were used, 98 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  15. A tank had some water. After 206 L were used, 113 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  16. A tank had some water. After 203 L were used, 217 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  17. A tank had some water. After 188 L were used, 247 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  18. A tank had some water. After 279 L were used, 280 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  19. A tank had some water. After 383 L were used, 589 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
  20. A tank had some water. After 283 L were used, 177 L were left. How many L were in the tank at first?
More free practice: fieldbooklearning.com/uk/practice/year-7/one-step-equation-word-problems-subtraction/

Play it as a quiz game

20 of these questions as multiple choice, with near-miss wrong answers, ready for Kahoot or Blooket.

  1. Download the game's own question template: in Kahoot, Add question → Import spreadsheet; in Blooket, Create a set → Spreadsheet import.
  2. Click the matching button below, then click the first empty question row of the template and paste.
  3. Save the template (Kahoot needs .xlsx, Blooket .csv) and upload it.
Download CSV

Answer key: One-step equation word problems: subtraction

  1. 7
  2. 23
  3. 15
  4. 29
  5. 52
  6. 51
  7. 77
  8. 59
  9. 52
  10. 101
  11. 81
  12. 86
  13. 522
  14. 133
  15. 319
  16. 420
  17. 435
  18. 559
  19. 972
  20. 460