{"id":10565,"date":"2017-08-23T19:33:03","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T19:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/?p=10565"},"modified":"2019-08-30T16:38:37","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T16:38:37","slug":"how-to-solve-any-gre-word-problem-really","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gre\/blog\/how-to-solve-any-gre-word-problem-really\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Solve Any GRE Word Problem (Really)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/i><\/b>Word problems get a lot of hate from students. When you read the explanation for a tough GRE word problem, it\u2019s easy to feel like the solution came out of nowhere. Maybe it makes sense <\/span>now<\/span><\/i>, but how were you supposed to figure it out on your own? <\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, word problems really aren\u2019t so bad\u2014they\u2019re just misunderstood. There\u2019s a strategy for solving GRE word problems, just as there is for any other type of GRE Quant problem. Here\u2019s a way to confidently solve <\/span>any<\/span><\/i> GRE word problem. <\/span><\/p>\n

Where Do You Start?<\/b><\/h4>\n

The answer to this one is easy: you start by putting your pencil down and taking a deep breath. I mean that literally! I actually want you, when you spot a GRE word problem, to physically put down your pencil and breathe. Your brain needs oxygen for the challenge you\u2019re about to give it. And a <\/span>lot<\/span><\/i> of mistakes come from writing too much, too quickly. Putting down the pencil will keep you from racing ahead when you should be slowing down. <\/span><\/p>\n

All good? The next step is to read the problem. If you often have trouble getting the right equations down on your paper, <\/span>don\u2019t pick up your pencil until you\u2019re done reading<\/b>. That\u2019s probably different from what you\u2019re used to doing, and at first, you won\u2019t know exactly what to focus on. However, a lot of mistakes on word problems come from writing down equations before you have all of the info. As you get better at solving word problems, you\u2019ll have a better sense of what to write down while you read. For now, though, just focus on reading. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Steps to Solving a GRE Word Problem<\/b><\/h4>\n

Did you read the entire problem? Then you\u2019ve got a decision to make. If you <\/span>understood what the problem was asking<\/b>, and if you had a sense of <\/span>what steps you\u2019d take to solve it<\/b>, go ahead and get to work. If not, either mark it and move on to the next problem, or choose a random guess. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you feel okay about what you read, the next step is to determine what your variables are. Don\u2019t write any equations until you know exactly what the unknown values in the problem are. If you know a quantity, it\u2019s not a variable (for instance, if the problem says that Orion has six pieces of candy, you don\u2019t need a variable to represent how much candy he has). But, if there\u2019s a number that you <\/span>don\u2019t<\/span><\/i> know, create a variable. For instance, maybe you only know that Orion and Janet have fifteen pieces of candy between them\u2014you don\u2019t know how much candy each person has individually, so you\u2019ll need variables to represent those numbers. <\/span>Jot your variables down on your paper before you start creating equations.<\/b><\/p>\n

Ready to write some equations? Not just yet! Look back at the problem one more time. The trick to reading a GRE word problem is to see it as a <\/span>series of relationships <\/b>between values. Every piece of information in the problem will tell you how two or more values relate to each other. For example, here\u2019s a sentence from a GRE word problem in the <\/span>5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

An online merchant sells wine for $20 for an individual bottle or $220 for a case of 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

This sentence tells you about a relationship between several unknown values: the number of bottles the merchant sold, the number of cases, and the merchant\u2019s total income. Even though the total income isn\u2019t mentioned in the sentence, you can still relate it to the two values that <\/span>are<\/span><\/i> mentioned. <\/span><\/p>\n

Only start writing equations once you have a handle on the relationships that the problem describes. Each relationship will typically be a single equation. Don\u2019t worry if you need to build up the equations one piece at a time. Also, don\u2019t try to fit too much information into a single equation! That\u2019s a good way to stumble while translating a GRE word problem into math.<\/span><\/p>\n

Try It with an Actual GRE Word Problem<\/b><\/h4>\n

Here\u2019s another word problem from the 5lb. Book of GRE Practice Problems. Let\u2019s use the approach above. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 1: <\/b>Don\u2019t read the problem yet! Glance at it and note that it\u2019s a word problem. Take a deep breath and put your pencil down.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2: <\/b>Now, read the problem\u2014<\/span>without <\/span><\/i>writing on your paper. <\/span><\/p>\n

Marcy bought one pair of jeans at 70% off, and one blouse at 40% off. If she paid $12 more for the blouse than for the jeans, and she spent a total of $84, what was the original price of the jeans?<\/span><\/p>\n

(A) 76
\n<\/span>(B) 96
\n<\/span>(C) 100
\n<\/span>(D) 120
\n<\/span>(E) 124<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3<\/b>: Identify your unknowns. We know the total amount that Marcy spent, so we won\u2019t need a variable for that. However, there are four things we don\u2019t know:<\/span><\/p>\n