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A dress and a handbag — Mei's savings
Mei spent $48 on a dress. This was of her savings. After buying the dress, she spent of the remaining savings on a handbag. How much did she spend on the handbag?
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The pattern behind it: Branching
The second fraction is of one piece, not of the whole.
In this one. The $48 is 3 equal units, so dividing by 3 pins 1 unit at $16 — after that every later amount is counted in units instead of guessed as a fraction.
Also uses: Units and parts
How to spot it
A second fraction arrives after the first and is attached to a piece rather than to the whole — 'of the remainder', 'of what was left', or 'of the ones that were red'.
Common mistake
Children take the second fraction of the original total instead of the piece it was named against, which makes the amount come out too big.
Try one like it
Standard Ahmad's savings — books, then a game Ahmad spent $36 on books. This was 4/9 of his savings. After buying the books, he spent 1/3 of the remaining savings on a game. Ho…The 33 problem patterns
All 33 patterns, one to a page — the 19 behind Primary 5 and 6 word problems, and the skills the younger years are built on. The bar model, how to spot it in the question, and the mistake children make. A booklet you can print. Free.
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