5.OA.2: Write and Interpret Numerical Expressions
Also written as 5.OA.A.2 and CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.OA.A.2 · Cluster: Write and interpret numerical expressions.
The Official Wording
Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers, and interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them. For example, express the calculation "add 8 and 7, then multiply by 2" as 2 × (8 + 7). Recognize that 3 × (18932 + 921) is three times as large as 18932 + 921, without having to calculate the indicated sum or product.
Common Core State Standards, Grade 5, Operations & Algebraic Thinking · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What 5.OA.2 Means in Plain English
Fifth graders turn words into symbols: “subtract 4 from 10, then multiply by 6” becomes 6 × (10 − 4), written without working out 36. Reading the other way, they see 5 × (2,468 + 731) and say it is five times the sum, no adding needed.
This is the bridge from arithmetic to algebra. The parentheses come from 5.OA.1, and the habit of reading structure before computing is what 6th graders use when they write 2 × (x + 3) with a variable (6.EE.2) and name its parts.
5.OA.2 I Can Statements
- I can write an expression for a calculation described in words.
- I can say in words what 4 × (6 + 3) does.
- I can compare two expressions without calculating either one.
5.OA.2 Worked Example
A calculation in words becomes an expression, and then the expression is read back without ever finding the answer.
Write an expression for “add 15 and 9, then multiply by 4.” Then tell how 4 × (15 + 9) compares to 15 + 9 without calculating.
- Find the first thing the words say to do. “Add 15 and 9” comes first, so it goes inside parentheses.(15 + 9)
- “Then multiply by 4” acts on the whole sum, so the 4 multiplies the parentheses.4 × (15 + 9)
- Now read it back. The parentheses hold a sum, and the 4 in front says: four of that sum.4 × (15 + 9) is four times as large as 15 + 9
- Only now, as a check, work it out. The sum is 24, and 4 × 24 = 96, which is indeed four 24s.15 + 9 = 24, then 4 × 24 = 96
Check it: Compare it with the expression written without parentheses: 4 × 15 + 9 = 60 + 9 = 69, not 96. The parentheses are what make the 4 act on the whole sum.
Common Mistakes with 5.OA.2
Writing the words in order, left to right
“add 15 and 9, then multiply by 4” written as 15 + 9 × 4
Try this: Ask what the “then” acts on. The 4 multiplies the whole sum, and only parentheses make it do so.
Calculating when asked to compare
Asked how 5 × (2,468 + 731) compares to 2,468 + 731, the student adds and multiplies everything out
Try this: Cover the inside of the parentheses with a finger and ask what the 5 does to whatever is under it: it makes five of it.
Reversing “subtract 4 from 10”
“subtract 4 from 10, then multiply by 6” written as 6 × (4 − 10)
Try this: Read “from” as the starting amount: you start with 10 and take 4 away, so 10 comes first inside the parentheses.
Where 5.OA.2 Fits
Practice 5.OA.2
Quick Check
- Write an expression for “multiply 7 by 3, then subtract 5.”
- Write an expression for “add 12 and 8, then divide by 4.”
- Without calculating, how does 8 × (346 + 59) compare to 346 + 59?