Is my child supposed to solve these?

No. The instruction on the sheet says to write each expression and not evaluate it. The answer key shows expressions such as (26 − 8) ÷ 3, so your child gets credit for structure, not for a final number. That matches standard 5.OA.A.2, which is about reading and writing expressions.

When are parentheses needed?

When a sum or difference has to happen before another operation touches it. Twice the sum of 7 and 3 becomes 2 × (7 + 3) because the adding comes first. If the statement multiplies first and then subtracts, the order of operations already handles it and no grouping symbols are needed.

How does this differ from the order of operations sheet?

That sheet gives the expression and asks for its value. This one runs the other way: the words are given and your child builds the expression. Five problems per print, one difficulty level, and a fresh set of statements every time you print.

5th grade writing numerical expressions

5th grade writing numerical expressions worksheets

Writing numerical expressions worksheets for 5th grade give your child a statement in words, such as "5 times the sum of 7 and 2," and ask for the expression that matches it: 5 × (7 + 2). Nothing gets evaluated. Each of the 5 problems is about choosing the right operations and deciding where the parentheses go.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core 5.OA.A.2.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of problems you'll get

Write each expression. Use grouping symbols where needed. Do not evaluate.

Write an expression for the sum of 5 and the product of 2 and 9.
Answer: 5 + 2 × 9
Write an expression for adding 2 and 11, then multiplying the sum by 5.
Answer: 5 × (2 + 11)
Write an expression for the difference between the product of 8 and 7 and 15. Use grouping symbols where they are needed. Do not evaluate.
Answer: 8 × 7 − 15

Every print pulls a fresh set of problems at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Writing numerical expressions. Write each expression. Use grouping symbols where needed. Do not evaluate. 5 problems per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key after the problems.

This sheet is one of the versions on the 5th grade order of operations page, with its own difficulty choices and its own answer key.

How to teach this

Have your child underline the word that names a combined amount, such as sum, difference, or product, before writing anything. That word is the part that may need parentheses. Then ask what happens to that amount: is it multiplied, divided, or is something taken away from it? If an operation acts on a whole sum or difference, that sum or difference goes in parentheses. The trap is a statement like "the difference between the product of 6 and 9 and 14." The product already comes first in the order of operations, so 6 × 9 − 14 needs no parentheses. Adding them is not wrong, but it shows the habit is mechanical. One check: read the finished expression back into words. If the words match the original statement, the grouping is right.

Watch for: Kids write the numbers in the order the words arrive. The difference between 26 and 8, then divided by 3, needs the subtraction grouped first, so it reads (26 − 8) ÷ 3, not 26 − 8 ÷ 3. Kids start calculating because the numbers are small. The sheet says do not evaluate, and the answer key shows the expression itself. Writing 45 instead of 5 × (7 + 2) skips the whole skill.

Common questions about 5th grade writing numerical expressions

Is my child supposed to solve these?: No. The instruction on the sheet says to write each expression and not evaluate it. The answer key shows expressions such as (26 − 8) ÷ 3, so your child gets credit for structure, not for a final number. That matches standard 5.OA.A.2, which is about reading and writing expressions.
When are parentheses needed?: When a sum or difference has to happen before another operation touches it. Twice the sum of 7 and 3 becomes 2 × (7 + 3) because the adding comes first. If the statement multiplies first and then subtracts, the order of operations already handles it and no grouping symbols are needed.
How does this differ from the order of operations sheet?: That sheet gives the expression and asks for its value. This one runs the other way: the words are given and your child builds the expression. Five problems per print, one difficulty level, and a fresh set of statements every time you print.

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Aligned to Common Core 5.OA.A.2. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated September 2026.

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