Introduction
This fewer stickers question is a simple lower primary word problem, but many students still get confused by the word “fewer”. In Maths, understanding the relationship between two people is just as important as doing the calculation. Once students read the statement carefully, this fewer stickers question becomes very straightforward.

The Question / Scenario Explanation
Source: P2 Henry Park 2023 Term 1
Tim has \(650\) stickers in a bag. He has \(100\) fewer stickers than Sarah. How many stickers does Sarah have?
Step-by-Step Solution / Explanation
Step 1: Understand the word “fewer”
The question says Tim has \(100\) fewer stickers than Sarah.
This means Sarah has more stickers than Tim.
So if Tim has \(650\), Sarah must have \(100\) more than \(650\).
Step 2: Add the extra stickers
\(650 + 100 = 750\)
So Sarah has \(750\) stickers.
✅ Final Answer: \(750\) stickers
Step 3: Quick check
If Sarah has \(750\) stickers, then Tim should have \(100\) fewer:
\(750 – 100 = 650\)
This matches the question, so the answer is correct.
Key Concepts Students Must Know
- In a fewer stickers question, “fewer” means one person has less than another person.
- If A has fewer than B, then B has more than A.
- Always ask: “Who has more?” before choosing addition or subtraction.
- Comparison word problems test understanding of relationships, not only calculation skills.
Exam Tips / Common Mistakes
Exam Tips
- Underline the words “fewer stickers than Sarah”.
- Identify who has the smaller amount and who has the bigger amount.
- For this fewer stickers question, Tim has fewer, so Sarah must have more.
- Do a quick subtraction check after finding the answer.
Common Mistakes
- Subtracting \(100\) from \(650\) just because the word “fewer” appears.
- Forgetting that Tim is the one with fewer stickers, not Sarah.
- Giving an answer smaller than \(650\), even though Sarah should have more.
- Not checking whether the final answer gives Tim \(650\) after subtracting \(100\).
Parent Insight
This fewer stickers question shows why word understanding matters in primary Maths. Many children can add and subtract correctly, but still lose marks because they misread comparison words like “more”, “fewer”, and “less”. With regular guided practice, students become much more confident in choosing the correct operation.
Conclusion
To solve this fewer stickers question, we first noticed that Tim has \(100\) fewer stickers than Sarah. Since Tim has \(650\), we add \(100\) to find Sarah’s amount. So \(650 + 100 = 750\). Sarah has \(750\) stickers.
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