A small lesson.
A clearer next step.

One question at a time. A word problem becomes easier when you turn the story into a small equation.

Imagine a phone plan: twenty five dollars each month, plus ten cents per text. The total bill is thirty two dollars.

First, name the unknown. Let x mean the number of texts. Keep every amount in dollars: ten cents is zero point one zero dollars.

Write the equation: twenty five plus zero point one zero times x equals thirty two. The fixed cost comes first.

Subtract twenty five from both sides. Seven dollars remain. Divide both sides by zero point one zero. That gives seventy texts.

Check the story. Seventy texts cost seven dollars. Add twenty five dollars: thirty two dollars. The answer fits.

Find the question. Write an equation. Solve. Check. Now pause and try a similar problem with your own pencil.