Free Grade 3 Fraction Word Problems Lessons
Free Grade 3 lessons for Fraction Word Problems: 12 real questions with a full answer key and worked solutions. A fraction describes equal parts of a whole. The denominator (bottom) is how many equal parts there are; the numerator (top) is how many we are talking about.
Free
Core
25 min
24
Learning objectives
Every objective is checkable, and each one maps to an activity and an assessment.
- UnderstandExplain fraction word problems
Explain fraction word problems accurately in a familiar context.
Assessed by: Exit ticket of four short items
- ApplyCalculate fraction word problems
Calculate fraction word problems accurately in a familiar context.
Assessed by: Exit ticket of four short items
- AnalyseCompare fraction word problems
Compare fraction word problems accurately in a familiar context.
Assessed by: Exit ticket of four short items
- EvaluateJustify fraction word problems
Justify fraction word problems accurately in a familiar context.
Assessed by: Exit ticket of four short items
Prerequisites
Close these gaps first — each has its own free lesson, worksheet and quiz.
How Fraction Word Problems works
A fraction describes equal parts of a whole. The denominator (bottom) is how many equal parts there are; the numerator (top) is how many we are talking about.
12 practice questions
Easy to hard, 24 marks in total. Try them first, then open the answers.
- 1.A shape is split into 2 equal parts and 1 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[1]
- 2.A shape is split into 8 equal parts and 3 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[1]
- 3.A shape is split into 6 equal parts and 3 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[1]
- 4.A shape is split into 3 equal parts and 2 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[1]
- 5.A shape is split into 4 equal parts and 3 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[2]
- 6.A shape is split into 7 equal parts and 6 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[2]
- 7.A shape is split into 12 equal parts and 7 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[2]
- 8.A shape is split into 5 equal parts and 3 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[2]
- 9.A shape is split into 10 equal parts and 9 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[3]
- 10.A shape is split into 12 equal parts and 1 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[3]
- 11.A shape is split into 5 equal parts and 4 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[3]
- 12.A shape is split into 11 equal parts and 3 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?[3]
Show answers and working
1. 1/2 shaded, 1/2 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 2. Numerator = shaded parts = 1. Unshaded: 2 − 1 = 1, so 1/2.
2. 3/8 shaded, 5/8 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 8. Numerator = shaded parts = 3. Unshaded: 8 − 3 = 5, so 5/8.
3. 3/6 shaded, 3/6 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 6. Numerator = shaded parts = 3. Unshaded: 6 − 3 = 3, so 3/6.
4. 2/3 shaded, 1/3 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 3. Numerator = shaded parts = 2. Unshaded: 3 − 2 = 1, so 1/3.
5. 3/4 shaded, 1/4 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 4. Numerator = shaded parts = 3. Unshaded: 4 − 3 = 1, so 1/4.
6. 6/7 shaded, 1/7 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 7. Numerator = shaded parts = 6. Unshaded: 7 − 6 = 1, so 1/7.
7. 7/12 shaded, 5/12 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 12. Numerator = shaded parts = 7. Unshaded: 12 − 7 = 5, so 5/12.
8. 3/5 shaded, 2/5 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 5. Numerator = shaded parts = 3. Unshaded: 5 − 3 = 2, so 2/5.
9. 9/10 shaded, 1/10 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 10. Numerator = shaded parts = 9. Unshaded: 10 − 9 = 1, so 1/10.
10. 1/12 shaded, 11/12 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 12. Numerator = shaded parts = 1. Unshaded: 12 − 1 = 11, so 11/12.
11. 4/5 shaded, 1/5 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 5. Numerator = shaded parts = 4. Unshaded: 5 − 4 = 1, so 1/5.
12. 3/11 shaded, 8/11 not shaded
Denominator = total equal parts = 11. Numerator = shaded parts = 3. Unshaded: 11 − 3 = 8, so 8/11.
Worked examples
A shape is split into 7 equal parts and 1 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?
- Denominator = total equal parts = 7.
- Numerator = shaded parts = 1.
- Unshaded: 7 − 1 = 6, so 6/7.
- Answer: 1/7 shaded, 6/7 not shaded
A shape is split into 12 equal parts and 8 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?
- Denominator = total equal parts = 12.
- Numerator = shaded parts = 8.
- Unshaded: 12 − 8 = 4, so 4/12.
- Answer: 8/12 shaded, 4/12 not shaded
A shape is split into 13 equal parts and 3 are shaded. What fraction is shaded, and what fraction is not?
- Denominator = total equal parts = 13.
- Numerator = shaded parts = 3.
- Unshaded: 13 − 3 = 10, so 10/13.
- Answer: 3/13 shaded, 10/13 not shaded
Interactive practice
Free, no account required — answer on screen or print it.
Common mistakes
What learners typically get wrong, and how to fix it.
Counts unequal parts as fractions.
Correction: Parts must be the same size.
Swaps numerator and denominator.
Correction: The denominator is down — it is the total number of parts.
Teacher tips
- · Fold paper strips into equal parts and label them.
Parent tips
- · Ask what fraction of the family is wearing blue.
Real-life applications
- · Sharing food fairly, telling the time (quarter past).
Assessment objectives
How mastery is evidenced, and which standards it maps to.
Every free resource for Fraction Word Problems
One concept, one ecosystem — all of it free.
Goes deeper
The entities below this one, each with the same complete free resource set.
Sibling concepts
Related concepts
Lateral links, including across subjects.
Next topics
All free formats for this concept
Every kind below is a real page, generated from this entity.
Learn — Meet the idea.
Practice — Build fluency.
Revise — Keep it in memory.
Assess — Prove mastery.
Apply — Use it in context.
Teach — Deliver it to a class.
Frequently asked
- Is this Grade 3 Fraction Word Problems lesson really free?
- Yes. Every lessons on FreeMathWorksheet is free to use, print and share — no account, no paywall and no watermark.
- What should a learner already know before this?
- Start with Fractions to Percentages, Decimals to Fractions, Integers. Each one has its own free lesson, worksheet and quiz.
- How is the lesson sequenced?
- Recognition first, then understanding, application, reasoning and finally mastery — the same ladder used across every free resource on the platform.
- What comes next after Fraction Word Problems?
- Move on to Fractions in Real Life, Common Fraction Errors, Fractions in Exam Questions, Whole Numbers, which build directly on this idea.
Related resources
Stuck on Fraction Word Problems? The AI Tutor already knows this page, its prerequisites and its common mistakes.
Open the free AI Tutor