When you're working on word problems to create linear equations, it helps to have a clear process. Here’s a simple way to do it:

1. Read the Problem Carefully: Start by reading the problem a few times. This will help you understand what it’s asking. Pay attention to important words like "total," "more than," or "less than."

2. Identify the Variables: Figure out what you need to find. Use letters to represent each unknown. For example, if you're trying to find out how many apples there are, you could use $x$ for the number of apples.

3. Translate the Words into an Equation: Take what the problem says and turn it into math. For example, if it says, "John has 5 more apples than Sarah," and we let $y$ be the number of apples Sarah has, we can write the equation like this: $x = y + 5$.

4. Set Up the Equation: Put all the relationships together into one equation. If the total number of apples is 20, your equation would be $x + y = 20$.

5. Solve the Equation: Now, use simple algebra to isolate the variable and find the answer. If we substitute $y + 5$ for $x$ in $x + y = 20$, it looks like this:

   $(y + 5) + y = 20$

   If we simplify that, we get:

   $2y + 5 = 20$

   Now, isolate $y$ to solve for it.

6. Check Your Solution: Finally, make sure your answer is correct by plugging it back into the original problem to see if it works.

Using this step-by-step method will help you break down word problems and turn them into linear equations that you can solve easily!