You already know how to work classification word problems. You've also already worked on comparison word problems. Now we'll practice reading classification and comparison sentences. You must know how to tell them apart so you can solve different word problems correctly.
Here's the first sentence: The tree is 11 feet taller than Meg.
This problem compares the tree and Meg. It tells about the difference number. The tree is taller, so tree is the greatest number (larger number). Meg is a lesser number (smaller number). The number 11 tells about the difference. It equals a lesser number.
Here's the second sentence: 5 pants were new and 4 pants were old.
This problem does not compare. It classifies the pants. Remember how you work classification word problems. We write the name of all the things in the problem: pants. That is the greatest number. The names for the lesser numbers are new pants and old pants.
Keep in mind that a classification sentence tells about similar things, so there will be an "all" in the number family. A comparison sentence tells about more or less, so there's a difference number in the family.
Let's try to tell these word problems apart:
1) Gregory has 8 more puppies than Ava.
2) Gregory has 5 pet puppies that are black, and the rest are brown.
Which sentence compares? It's sentence #1 because it tells about something "more." Gregory has more puppies than Ava. So sentence #2 classifies because it tells about all the things in the problem-puppies. Some puppies are black, and the others are brown.
