Question 1090981:  Lauren is 3 less than twice Andrew's age. 4 years from now, Sam will be 2 more than twice Andrew's age. 5 years ago, Sam was three times Andrew's age. How old was Lauren 5 years ago? 
 Found 2 solutions by  ikleyn, MathTherapy: Answer by ikleyn(52903)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! . 
Lauren is 3 less than twice Andrew's age. 4 years from now, Sam will be 2 more than twice Andrew's age.  
5 years ago, Sam was three times Andrew's age. How old was Lauren 5 years ago? 
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S + 4 = 2*(A+4) + 2     (1)    ("4 years from now, Sam will be 2 more than twice Andrew's age.")
S - 5 = 3*(A-5).        (2)    ("5 years ago, Sam was three times Andrew's age.")
From (1), express S = 2A + 6 and substitute it into (2). You will get
(2A+6) - 5 = 3*(A-5)  ====>
2A + 1 = 3A - 15  ====>  A = 16.
Thus Andrew's present age is 16 years.
The Lauren's present age is 2*16 - 3 = 29 years.
 
Answer.  Lauren present age is 29 years.
 
 
Solved.           //Thanks to @MathTherapy for pointing to my error in early version (which I corrected now).
 
 
 
There is a bunch of lessons on age word problems 
 
    - Age problems and their solutions
 
    - A fresh formulation of a traditional age problem
 
    - Really intricate age word problem
 
    - Selected age word problems from the archive
 
    - Age problems for mental solution 
 
in this site.
 
 
Read them and become an expert in solving age problems.
 
 
Also, you have this free of charge online textbook in ALGEBRA-I in this site
 
    - ALGEBRA-I - YOUR ONLINE TEXTBOOK.
 
 
The referred lessons are the part of this online textbook under the topic "Age word problems".
 
 
 
 Answer by MathTherapy(10557)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website! Lauren is 3 less than twice Andrew's age. 4 years from now, Sam will be 2 more than twice Andrew's age. 5 years ago, Sam was three times Andrew's age. How old was Lauren 5 years ago? 
If what's meant is: "Lauren is 3 less than twice Andrew's age. 4 years from now, Sam will be 2 more than twice Andrew's age, then. 5 years ago, Sam was three times Andrew's age, then,"  
then Lauren is now 29 years-old, and 5 years ago, was:    
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