🔢 Detailed Explanation of Two-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems – Up to 100

Two-step addition and subtraction word problems are questions that need you to do two calculations to find the answer. In Year 3 Maths and Key Stage 2, you will often see problems using numbers up to 100. These problems help you practise using addition and subtraction together and improve your problem-solving skills.

❓ What Are Two-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems?

A two-step problem means you need to do two things in the right order. For example, you might first add some numbers and then subtract another number, or vice versa. To solve these problems successfully, you need to understand the story in the question, decide what to do first, and then use addition or subtraction carefully.

📝 How to Approach Two-Step Word Problems Step-by-Step

  1. Read the Problem Carefully
    Read the whole question slowly and check what it is asking. Try to find the important numbers and what the problem wants you to find out.
  2. Identify the Two Steps
    Look for two different actions: adding or subtracting. Decide which calculation comes first based on the story.
  3. Write Down What You Know
    Write the numbers and the operations (+ or -) you will use. This helps you keep track.
  4. Calculate the First Step
    Do the first addition or subtraction carefully.
  5. Calculate the Second Step
    Use your answer from the first step to do the second calculation.
  6. Check Your Answer
    Read the question again and check if your answer makes sense.

📚 Examples of Two-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems

Example 1:
Ella has 45 stickers. She buys 20 more stickers. Then she gives 15 stickers to her friend.

  • Step 1: 45 + 20 = 65 (Ella’s total stickers after buying)
  • Step 2: 65 – 15 = 50 (Stickers left after giving some away)

Ella has 50 stickers now.

Example 2:
Tom has 70 marbles. He gives 25 marbles to his brother. Then Tom wins 10 more marbles in a game.

  • Step 1: 70 – 25 = 45 (Tom’s marbles after giving some away)
  • Step 2: 45 + 10 = 55 (Tom’s marbles after winning more)

Tom has 55 marbles now.

🎯 Study Tips for Solving Two-Step Word Problems

  • Always underline or highlight the numbers and action words like “more,” “left,” or “gave.”
  • Draw pictures or use objects to help you see what is happening.
  • Write each step clearly and don’t rush your calculations.
  • Try making up your own two-step word problems to practise.

By practising these steps and examples, you will become confident in solving two-step addition and subtraction word problems up to 100. Keep practising, and remember to think about each step carefully! 🚀

🧮 20 Examination-Style Two-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems – Up to 100

Here are 20 examination-style two-step addition and subtraction word problems with numbers up to 100, designed for Year 3 students following the UK National Curriculum. These problems help practise solving two-step addition and subtraction questions by reading carefully and using maths skills.

  1. Sophie has 45 stickers. She buys 20 more stickers and then gives 15 to her friend. How many stickers does Sophie have now?
  2. Tom has 60 marbles. He loses 25 and then finds 10 more. How many marbles does Tom have now?
  3. There are 50 apples in the basket. 12 are eaten and 18 are picked from a tree to add to the basket. How many apples are there in total now?
  4. Lucy has 70 pencils. She gives 30 to her class and then buys 15 new pencils. How many pencils does she have now?
  5. Jack had 80 football cards. He gave 40 to his brother and then bought 35 more cards. How many football cards does Jack have now?
  6. There are 90 books in the library. 55 are borrowed and then 30 new books arrive. How many books are there now?
  7. Emma has 25 sweets. She gets 40 more for her birthday and then gives 30 to her friends. How many sweets does she have left?
  8. A shop had 65 toys. It sold 22 toys and then received 35 new deliveries. How many toys are there in the shop now?
  9. Ben collected 50 stamps. He gave 20 to his cousin and then found 25 more in his drawer. How many stamps does Ben have now?
  10. There were 70 chairs in the hall. 30 were taken out for cleaning and then 20 new chairs were added. How many chairs are left in the hall?
  11. Mia had 40 cupcakes. She ate 15 and then baked 30 more. How many cupcakes does Mia have now?
  12. At the zoo, there were 80 animals. 25 were moved to another zoo and then 10 new animals arrived. How many animals are at the zoo now?
  13. Luke had £90. He spent £35 on games and received £20 from his grandma. How much money does Luke have now?
  14. A library had 75 comics. 45 were borrowed and then 40 new comics arrived. How many comics does the library have now?
  15. Sara has 55 balloons. She gave 30 away and then bought 40 more. How many balloons does she have in total now?
  16. James had 85 stickers. He lost 45 and then bought 20 more. How many stickers does he have now?
  17. There were 95 cars in the parking lot. 40 left and then 30 more arrived. How many cars are there now?
  18. A basket had 65 oranges. 25 were eaten and then 30 more were put in the basket. How many oranges are there now?
  19. Anna had 45 books. She gave 20 to her friend and then found 50 more in her room. How many books does Anna have now?
  20. There were 100 chairs in the hall. 60 were taken away and then 25 new chairs arrived. How many chairs are there now?

These two-step addition and subtraction word problems help you understand how to read and solve tricky questions where you add and subtract numbers up to 100. Take your time, read carefully, and try each step one at a time! ✍️

✅ Answers to the 20 Examination-Style Two-Step Addition and Subtraction Word Problems – Up to 100

Here are the detailed answers and step-by-step solutions for the 20 two-step addition and subtraction word problems. Each solution is explained clearly to help Year 3 students and teachers in the UK understand how to solve two-step problems up to 100.

Problem 1

Question: Sarah has 45 pencils. She buys 20 more, then gives 15 to her friend. How many pencils does Sarah have now?

Step 1: Add the pencils Sarah bought to the pencils she already has.
45 + 20 = 65

Step 2: Subtract the pencils Sarah gave away.
65 – 15 = 50

Answer: Sarah has 50 pencils now.

Problem 2

Question: Tom has 60 apples. He eats 18 and then finds 12 more apples. How many apples does Tom have at the end?

Step 1: Subtract the apples Tom ate.
60 – 18 = 42

Step 2: Add the apples he found.
42 + 12 = 54

Answer: Tom has 54 apples at the end.

Problem 3

Question: A book has 85 pages. Lucy reads 30 pages in the morning and 25 pages in the afternoon. How many pages are left to read?

Step 1: Add the pages Lucy read in total.
30 + 25 = 55

Step 2: Subtract from the total pages in the book.
85 – 55 = 30

Answer: Lucy has 30 pages left to read.

Problem 4

Question: At a football match, 72 people came in the morning and 27 more came in the afternoon. 35 people then left. How many people are there now?

Step 1: Add the people who came in the afternoon.
72 + 27 = 99

Step 2: Subtract the people who left.
99 – 35 = 64

Answer: There are 64 people now.

Problem 5

Question: James had 90 marbles. He gave 40 marbles to his friend and then lost 15. How many marbles does James have left?

Step 1: Subtract the marbles given to his friend.
90 – 40 = 50

Step 2: Subtract the marbles he lost.
50 – 15 = 35

Answer: James has 35 marbles left.

Problem 6

Question: There are 78 biscuits in the jar. If 25 biscuits are eaten and then 10 biscuits are added, how many biscuits are in the jar?

Step 1: Subtract eaten biscuits.
78 – 25 = 53

Step 2: Add the biscuits added.
53 + 10 = 63

Answer: There are 63 biscuits in the jar.

Problem 7

Question: Jenny collected 40 stamps. She bought 35 more then gave 20 to her brother. How many stamps does Jenny have now?

Step 1: Add the stamps Jenny bought.
40 + 35 = 75

Step 2: Subtract the stamps she gave away.
75 – 20 = 55

Answer: Jenny has 55 stamps now.

Problem 8

Question: There are 96 animals at a farm. 47 are sheep and the rest are cows. If 15 cows leave, how many animals are left?

Step 1: Find the number of cows by subtracting sheep from total.
96 – 47 = 49 cows

Step 2: Subtract cows that leave.
49 – 15 = 34 cows

Step 3: Add the sheep and remaining cows.
47 + 34 = 81 animals

Answer: There are 81 animals left.

Problem 9

Question: A basket has 70 oranges. 20 oranges are sold in the morning and 30 in the afternoon. How many oranges are left in the basket?

Step 1: Add the oranges sold.
20 + 30 = 50

Step 2: Subtract from total oranges.
70 – 50 = 20

Answer: 20 oranges are left in the basket.

Problem 10

Question: Liam has 55 toy cars. He gave 23 to his cousin and then found 20 more in his room. How many toy cars does Liam have?

Step 1: Subtract toy cars given away.
55 – 23 = 32

Step 2: Add toy cars found.
32 + 20 = 52

Answer: Liam has 52 toy cars.

Problem 11

Question: Mia had 66 stickers. She lost 18 and then bought 22 more. How many stickers does Mia have now?

Step 1: Subtract lost stickers.
66 – 18 = 48

Step 2: Add bought stickers.
48 + 22 = 70

Answer: Mia has 70 stickers now.

Problem 12

Question: There are 80 books in the library. 35 are borrowed and then 15 new books arrive. How many books are in the library now?

Step 1: Subtract borrowed books.
80 – 35 = 45

Step 2: Add new books.
45 + 15 = 60

Answer: There are 60 books in the library now.

Problem 13

Question: A bus can carry 100 passengers. 65 people got on and 27 got off at the next stop. How many passengers are on the bus?

Step 1: Add people who got on (assuming initially empty).
65 + 0 = 65 passengers

Step 2: Subtract passengers who got off.
65 – 27 = 38

Answer: There are 38 passengers on the bus.

Problem 14

Question: Emma has 58 candies. She gave 29 to her friends and then bought 25 more. How many candies does she have now?

Step 1: Subtract candies given away.
58 – 29 = 29

Step 2: Add candies bought.
29 + 25 = 54

Answer: Emma has 54 candies now.

Problem 15

Question: At a park, there were 90 people. 44 left and 33 arrived later. How many people are in the park now?

Step 1: Subtract people who left.
90 – 44 = 46

Step 2: Add people who arrived.
46 + 33 = 79

Answer: There are 79 people in the park now.

Problem 16

Question: A classroom has 72 chairs. 35 are occupied and 18 more students come in. How many chairs are free?

Step 1: Add occupied chairs after students arrive.
35 + 18 = 53

Step 2: Subtract from total chairs.
72 – 53 = 19

Answer: There are 19 free chairs.

Problem 17

Question: John had 84 sweets. He ate 50 and then gave 10 to his sister. How many sweets does he have now?

Step 1: Subtract sweets eaten.
84 – 50 = 34

Step 2: Subtract sweets given away.
34 – 10 = 24

Answer: John has 24 sweets now.

Problem 18

Question: A shop had 95 toys. It sold 28 in the morning and 35 in the afternoon. How many toys are left?

Step 1: Add toys sold in total.
28 + 35 = 63

Step 2: Subtract from the total toys.
95 – 63 = 32

Answer: 32 toys are left.

Problem 19

Question: There were 68 fish in a pond. 23 were caught and then 15 new fish were added. How many fish are there now?

Step 1: Subtract fish caught.
68 – 23 = 45

Step 2: Add new fish.
45 + 15 = 60

Answer: There are 60 fish in the pond now.

Problem 20

Question: Alice has 77 balloons. She gave 36 to her friends and then bought 20 more. How many balloons does she have?

Step 1: Subtract balloons given away.
77 – 36 = 41

Step 2: Add balloons bought.
41 + 20 = 61

Answer: Alice has 61 balloons.

These step-by-step solutions show how to work with two-step addition and subtraction word problems up to 100. Remember to read the question carefully, do one step at a time, and check your answers! ✅