Question 978061
Kato rode his bike 98 miles last week. That is two fewer than four times the number of miles Dave rode. How many miles did Dave ride.
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Let's break that down:
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Kato rode his bike 98 miles last week. That... 
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The word "That" means 
1. "98 miles"
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is...
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The word "is" means 
2. "equals" 
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two fewer than... 
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The words "two fewer than" means 
3. "subtract 2"
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four times... 
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The words "four times" means 
4. "multiply by 4"
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the number of miles Dave rode.  How many miles did Dave ride?
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The question asks for the unknown. So let the number of miles 
that Dave rode be the unknown letter 
5. "x" 

Now to get the equation, start with number 5 and go backwards:

5. x
4. "multiply by 4".  So we have 4x
3. "subtract 2".     So we have 4x-2
2. "equals".         So we have 4x-2 =   
1. "98 miles".       So we have 4x-2 = 98

So the equation is 4x-2 = 98

You can finish now, right?  So I'll stop here.

This demonstrates one trick in getting some word problems to an equation -- 
the trick of 'going backwards'!.

Edwin</pre>