Operations & Algebraic Thinking

Two-Step Word Problems Within 100

Combining two operations to solve a word problem.

Foundational15 min lesson2 min readUpdated August 12, 2026Author not yet attributed

Prerequisites

One-Step Word Problems Within 100

Problems with Two Moves

Some stories need more than one operation to solve. A two-step word problem has two separate actions happening — maybe something joins the group, and then something else leaves it — and each step has to be handled in order.

The key to a two-step problem is solving it one action at a time. Work out the first step completely, get a result, and then use that result as the starting point for the second step.

Worked Example — Combining Two Additions

A farmer picks 24 apples in the morning and 17 more apples in the afternoon. Later, the farmer sells 15 apples. How many apples does the farmer have left? Step 1: add the morning and afternoon apples: 24 + 17 = 41. Step 2: subtract the apples sold: 41 − 15 = 26. The farmer has 26 apples left.

Worked Example — Subtracting Twice

A box has 58 crayons. A student takes out 12 crayons to use, and then another student takes out 9 more. How many crayons are left in the box? Step 1: subtract the first amount: 58 − 12 = 46. Step 2: subtract the second amount: 46 − 9 = 37. There are 37 crayons left.

Tip

Write down the result of the first step before starting the second step — trying to do both steps in your head at once is where mistakes happen.

Common Mistakes

Solving only the first step of the problem and stopping there, missing that a second action still needs to happen.
Reread the question after finishing the first step to check whether the story described a second action that still needs solving.
Using the original starting number for the second step instead of the result from the first step.
The second step always starts from the answer to the first step, not from the numbers given at the very beginning of the story.

Key Takeaways

A two-step word problem has two separate actions that must be solved in order.
The result of the first step becomes the starting point of the second step.
Rereading the question after the first step confirms whether more work is needed.

Summary

Two-step word problems chain two operations together, solved one at a time. Being fast and accurate with smaller sums and differences makes every one of these steps easier — which is exactly the next lesson's focus.

Track your progress

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