Moving from word problems to linear equations might seem hard at first, but with some practice, it gets a lot easier! Here’s a simple guide that really helped me when I was learning:

Step 1: Read the Problem Carefully

• Take your time to see what the problem is asking you.
• Look for important words that can help you with math.
• Words like “total,” “more than,” or “less than” can give you clues about how to write your equation.

Step 2: Identify the Variables

• Think about what you need to find.
• Use a letter (like $x$) to stand for the unknown value in your problem.
• For example, if you want to know how many apples there are, let $x$ be the number of apples.

Step 3: Translate Words Into Math

• Start turning the phrases into math expressions. For example:
  • “Three times a number” can be written as $3x$.
  • “The total is 15” means $3x + 5 = 15$ if you are adding something else.

Step 4: Formulate the Equation

• Put your expressions together to form a complete equation based on the information from the problem.

Step 5: Solve the Equation

• Now, use basic math skills, like adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing, to find your variable.

Step 6: Check Your Solution

• After you find a solution, put it back into the original word problem to see if it makes sense.

Remember, practice makes perfect! The more you work with word problems, the easier it will be to notice the patterns and change them into linear equations.