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Grade 5 · Maths · Lessons
Brackets first
🔵brackets➕add✖️times🧮order
Brackets first.
The big ideaWork inside the brackets first, the inside ones before the outside ones.

How it works

Work inside the brackets first. Inside brackets before outside ones.

Then multiply and divide, then add and subtract.

Brackets can change the answer: (4 + 3) × 5 is not 4 + 3 × 5.

(4 + 3) × 5• brackets first: 7• 7 × 5 = 354 + 3 × 5• times first: 15• 4 + 15 = 19
Brackets change the answer.

Example 1: One pair

  1. (4 + 3) × 5 = ?
  2. Do the brackets first: 4 + 3 = 7.
  3. Then 7 × 5 = 35.
  4. So the answer is 35.

Example 2: Brackets inside brackets

  1. 8 + ((5 + 2) × 6) = ?
  2. Inside first: 5 + 2 = 7.
  3. Then 7 × 6 = 42, and 8 + 42 = 50.
  4. So the answer is 50.

Example 3: Several steps

  1. 3 + 4 × 4 − (4 − (4 − 2)) = ?
  2. Innermost first: 4 − 2 = 2, then 4 − 2 = 2.
  3. Times next: 4 × 4 = 16.
  4. Then 3 + 16 − 2 = 17.
  5. So the answer is 17.

Words to know

brackets
Marks that show what to do first.
expression
Numbers and signs that make a calculation.

Watch out

Try it

  1. 9 × ((6 + 2) − 5) = ?
  2. ((4 + 6) + 5) ÷ 3 = ?
  3. ((8 + 5) × 5) + 8 = ?
Answers: 1. 27 · 2. 5 · 3. 73
For grown-upsWrite a calculation with and without brackets and compare the answers.
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