Subtraction Word Problems Worksheet for Class 1

Subtraction Word Problems Worksheet for Class 1

Turn everyday situations into maths practice with this subtraction word problems worksheet for Class 1. Children read a short story, understand what happens to the quantities and work out the answer. Stories about pencils, toys, books and fruit help connect subtraction with familiar experiences.

Use this resource for classroom practice, homework or revision. Support children with counters, simple drawings or a number line before asking them to write a subtraction sentence. The worked examples and extra subtraction story sums below help them explain their thinking and check their answers.

What Is a Subtraction Word Problem?

A subtraction word problem presents a situation in words instead of giving only a calculation. Children must decide what the numbers represent and what the question asks them to find. Subtraction can help find an amount left after taking something away, a missing part of a total or the difference between two quantities.

How to Solve Subtraction Story Sums

1. Read the story: Ask what is happening and let your child retell it in their own words.
2. Identify the quantities: Explain what each number counts.
3. Find the question: Decide whether you need the amount left, a missing part or the difference.
4. Show the situation: Use objects, drawings or a number line to represent it.
5. Calculate and answer: Write the subtraction sentence and include what the answer counts.

Words such as “left” and “fewer” can help children understand a story, but they should read the whole problem before choosing an operation. Understanding the situation is more reliable than looking for one particular word.

Worked Example: Finding How Many Are Left

Story: Meera has 12 crayons. She gives 4 crayons to her brother. How many crayons does Meera have left?

Start with twelve counters to represent the crayons. Move four counters away because those crayons were given to her brother. Count the eight counters that remain.

Worked Example: Comparing Two Quantities

Story: Aarav has 9 toy cars. Kabir has 6 toy cars. How many more toy cars does Aarav have than Kabir?

Draw nine circles in one row and six circles in another row, lining them up in pairs. Six cars in each collection can be matched. Three cars in Aarav's collection remain unmatched.

Although the question uses the word “more,” subtraction finds the difference between the two collections. This is why children need to understand the complete story.

Extra Subtraction Word Problems for Class 1 with Answers

Try these additional story sums using numbers within 20. Write a number sentence and a short answer for each question.

1. Riya has 7 balloons. Two balloons burst. How many balloons are left?
2. There are 10 birds on a fence. Four fly away. How many birds remain?
3. A basket contains 13 oranges. Five are used to make juice. How many oranges remain?
4. Dev has 15 stickers. He gives 6 to a friend. How many stickers does he have left?
5. There are 8 biscuits on a plate. All 8 are eaten. How many biscuits are left?
6. A shelf has 18 books. Seven books are borrowed. How many books remain on the shelf?
7. Anaya has 12 beads. Tara has 8 beads. How many more beads does Anaya have?
8. There are 9 red blocks and 5 green blocks. How many fewer green blocks are there than red blocks?
9. A box contains 14 pencils. Nine are sharpened and the rest are unsharpened. How many pencils are unsharpened?
10. There are 16 children in a group. Ten wear caps. How many children do not wear caps?
11. A shop has 20 notebooks. Eight are sold. How many notebooks are left?
12. A tray has space for 10 cups. Six cups are already on it. How many more cups are needed to fill the tray?

Helping Children Understand and Check Their Answers

If reading is difficult, read the problem aloud without choosing the operation for your child. Ask them to act out the situation with counters or draw a simple picture. This helps you distinguish a reading difficulty from a maths difficulty.

Check whether the answer makes sense in the story. When some objects are taken away, the amount left cannot be greater than the starting amount. When comparing two groups, the answer tells the difference rather than the combined total.

Use addition to check a subtraction answer. For 13 - 5 = 8, adding 8 and 5 gives the original total of 13. Encourage children to include the correct unit, such as “8 oranges,” so their answer responds to the question.

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