11 Plus Exams Forum

Can anyone help me with these fraction questions please? They are for my son's homework who is getting really confused and agitated and so am I!



1/7 + 5/8 ÷ 3/4 =

5/6 x 3/10 - 3/16 =

3/4 ÷ 1/2 + 1/8 =

(4/9 - 1/3 ) x 6/7 =

3/5 x (2/3 + 1/2 ) =

This isn't to give the answers to my son, just so I can understand how to do them and can explain it all a bit better!

scarlett wrote:Can anyone help me with these fraction questions please? They are for my son's homework who is getting really confused and agitated and so am I!



1/7 + 5/8 ÷ 3/4 =

5/6 x 3/10 - 3/16 =

3/4 ÷ 1/2 + 1/8 =

(4/9 - 1/3 ) x 6/7 =

3/5 x (2/3 + 1/2 ) =

This isn't to give the answers to my son, just so I can understand how to do them and can explain it all a bit better!

I'm not v good at explaining these but I'll have a go at one (bearing in mind you have to do BODMAS)


3/4 ÷ 1/2 + 1/8 =
doing the division first , anything divided by half is doubled so : 6/4 + 1/8 = 12/8+1/8=13/8 = 1 & 5/8

Split each problem into 2 steps using BODMAS to determine the order of the steps. Then use standard rules for multiplying/dividing or adding/subtracting fractions.

So taking the first example

1/7 + 5/8 ÷ 3/4 =

1/7 + (5/8 ÷ 3/4) = (I find using brackets helps clarify BODMAS rules)

1/7 + (5/8 x 4/3) = (to divide by a fraction "turn it upside down and multiply")

1/7 + (20/24) =

1/7 + 5/6 = (simplify 2nd fraction by dividing top and bottom by 4)

6/42 + 35/42 = 41/42 (convert both terms to a common fraction and add)

Thanks for the help , Herman and Proud dad. Shall try to get to grips with it myself before tonight !

scarlett wrote:Can anyone help me with these fraction questions please? They are for my son's homework who is getting really confused and agitated and so am I!



1/7 + 5/8 ÷ 3/4 =

5/6 x 3/10 - 3/16 =

3/4 ÷ 1/2 + 1/8 =

(4/9 - 1/3 ) x 6/7 =

3/5 x (2/3 + 1/2 ) =

This isn't to give the answers to my son, just so I can understand how to do them and can explain it all a bit better!

Homework?? I would be curious to know who gave this kind of homework. It appears to be someone trying to be merging BODMAS and fractions to make life miserable for 10 year old. I don't think it is from any past papers or standard books available in the market.

I agree; it's a very poor exercise imho.

Guest55 wrote:I agree; it's a very poor exercise imho.

Interested as to why you think these are poor questions Guest55 as I thought they looked like quite good ones.

Isn't an 11 year old supposed to know BODMAS and how to calculate fractions and these questions seem to combine the two topics quite nicely to me?

Or are they just bad questions 11plus wise because the exam wouldn't have something like this?

I'm not sure what they are testing; fractions or BIDMAS. They aren't set in any context or problem and the mix of denominators makes me concerned about the level they are aimed at.

Oh, sorry I'm assuming everyone knows how old my children are ! This is homework for my DS who has just gone into year 8 . It's from a maths text book , 8a something ...I'm sure guest 55 will know which one I mean . I think he was getting a bit confused and I just wanted someone to explain so I wasn't confusing him more.

I suggest that you should not have posted Year 8 maths question in 11+ section or at least clarified that it is from Year 8 book ( I know which one).

Fractions could be confusing if all possible combinations (and logic for solving) are not understood properly in the first place.