NCERT Revision Notes for Class 3 Maths Chapter 12: Give and Take – Free PDF Download

Chapter 12 of Class 3 Maths, Give and Take, focuses on solving real-life addition and subtraction word problems involving giving and receiving, along with practising quick mental estimation of sums and differences.

Last Updated: September 23, 2026

Key Concepts

Addition word problems: situations involving receiving, collecting, or combining amounts, solved using addition.

Subtraction word problems: situations involving giving away, spending, or finding what remains, solved using subtraction.

Mental estimation: quickly rounding numbers to the nearest ten or hundred to estimate an answer without doing exact column addition or subtraction.

Choosing the correct operation: carefully reading a word problem to decide whether it needs addition, subtraction, or both.

Multi-step word problems: problems that require more than one addition or subtraction step to reach the final answer.

Worked Examples

Example 1

Meena had 340 stickers. She gave away 125 stickers to her friends. How many stickers does she have now? 340 − 125 = 215 stickers.

Example 2

Estimate the sum of 297 and 405 by rounding to the nearest hundred. 297 rounds to 300, and 405 rounds to 400, so the estimated sum is about 700.

Example 3

Ravi had 150 marbles. He received 60 more from his uncle, then gave 40 to his friend. How many marbles does he have now? 150 + 60 = 210, then 210 − 40 = 170 marbles.

Quick Recap

• Giving, spending, or finding what remains usually points to subtraction.
• Receiving, collecting, or combining amounts usually points to addition.
• Estimating by rounding helps quickly check if an exact answer is reasonable.
• Some word problems need more than one step, combining both addition and subtraction.
• Reading a word problem carefully is the key to choosing the correct operation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Choosing the wrong operation because of a rushed reading of the word problem.
• Forgetting a step in a multi-step word problem, leading to an incomplete or incorrect answer.
• Making rounding errors while estimating, especially with numbers close to the middle, like 250 or 350.
• Mixing up which number is the starting amount and which is being added or taken away.
• Not double-checking a multi-step answer by working through the problem again.

Home Practice Tips

• Create simple “give and take” word problems together using pocket money, stickers, or toys.
• Practise estimating sums and differences by rounding before solving exactly.
• Read word problems aloud together and discuss which operation fits before solving.
• Practise a few multi-step word problems, breaking them into smaller steps.
• Check multi-step answers by solving the problem again in a slightly different order, when possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How can I help my child decide between addition and subtraction in a word problem?
Look for key words — giving away, spending, or “how many are left” usually mean subtraction, while receiving, collecting, or “how many in total” usually mean addition.

Q2. What is a multi-step word problem, and how should it be solved?
It is a problem that needs more than one addition or subtraction step; solving it works best by breaking it into smaller, clear steps and solving one at a time.

Q3. Why is estimating useful before solving exactly?
Estimating by rounding gives a quick idea of what the answer should roughly be, which helps catch mistakes if the exact calculated answer is very different.

Q4. What are common mistakes children make in multi-step problems?
Children often solve only the first step and forget to complete the second step, so encouraging them to reread the question after each step helps avoid this.

Q5. How does this chapter build on earlier addition and subtraction chapters?
It brings together the addition and subtraction skills from earlier chapters into more varied, multi-step, real-life word problems.

Full walkthrough: Chapter 12 Solutions for step-by-step textbook answers.

Written by Satish

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