Primary 5 · Number & Algebra

P5 fractions and division

In P5, fractions start doing work. Your child divides whole numbers to get fractions, adds and subtracts mixed numbers, and multiplies fractions by whole numbers and by other fractions. Then the word problems take a fraction of what is left, and that is where most marks go.

Taught in: Term 1
Syllabus: 4 skills
Usual slip: Uses the starting amount

Updated 10 October 2026

What your child learns in P5 fractions and division

Four skills, each with what it looks like on a worksheet.

Follows the latest (2026) MOE syllabus

See the syllabus wording

dividing a whole number by a whole number with quotient as a fraction
expressing fractions as decimals
adding and subtracting mixed numbers
multiplying a proper/improper fraction and a whole number without calculator
multiplying a proper fraction and a proper/ improper fractions without calculator
multiplying two improper fractions
multiplying a mixed number and a whole number

Division gives a fraction

Dividing one whole number by another can give a fraction. 3 ÷ 4 is three quarters, and 5 ÷ 4 is 1 and a quarter. Your child also writes fractions as decimals, so three quarters is 0.75.

Point	Value
Point 1	0.75

3 ÷ 4 lands on 0.75

Add and subtract mixed numbers

Your child adds the whole numbers, then the fractions, then tidies up. 3 and five quarters is not finished yet: five quarters is 1 whole and 1 quarter, so the answer is 4 and a quarter.

Five quarters is 1 and a quarter

A fraction of an amount

Two thirds of 6 is 4: cut 6 into 3 equal units and take 2. In word problems the second fraction is often of the remainder, not the whole, and the same units handle it.

Two thirds of 6 is 4

Multiply fractions together

A fraction times a fraction multiplies the numerators, then the denominators: two thirds × three quarters is one half. A mixed number is changed to an improper fraction before it is multiplied.

6 of 12 squares is one half

Key facts and formulas

Term 1

Division as a fractionA whole number ÷ a whole number can be written as a fraction. $3 \div 5 =$ $\frac{3}{5}$ $9 \div 4 =$ $\frac{9}{4} =$ $2\frac{1}{4}$
Fraction to decimalMake the bottom 10, 100 or 1000, or divide. $\frac{3}{4} =$ $\frac{75}{100} =$ $0.75$ $7 \div 8 =$ $0.875$
Fraction of a quantity"Of" means ×. Or find 1 unit first. $\frac{3}{5} \times 40 =$ $24$ 1 unit → $40 \div 5 =$ $8$ 3 units → $3 \times 8 =$ $24$
Fraction × fractionNumerator × numerator, denominator × denominator, then simplify. $\frac{2}{3} \times \frac{3}{4} =$ $\frac{6}{12} =$ $\frac{1}{2}$ $\frac{5}{4} \times \frac{6}{5} =$ $\frac{30}{20} =$ $1\frac{1}{2}$
Add or subtract mixed numbersWholes first, then the fractions over the same denominator. $2\frac{1}{3} + 1\frac{3}{4} =$ $3 + \frac{13}{12} =$ $4\frac{1}{12}$ $3\frac{3}{4} - 1\frac{1}{3} =$ $2 + \frac{5}{12} =$ $2\frac{5}{12}$
Mixed number × whole numberMake it an improper fraction first. $2\frac{1}{4} \times 6 =$ $\frac{9}{4} \times 6 =$ $13\frac{1}{2}$

Words to know

Remainder: What is left after the first part is taken out.
Unit: One of the equal parts the bar is cut into.
Fraction of: Means multiply. Two thirds of 6 is two thirds × 6, which is 4.
Mixed number: A whole number and a fraction together, like 1 and three quarters.
Improper fraction: A fraction whose numerator is equal to or bigger than its denominator, like seven quarters.

The sentence that costs the mark

Aiden had $60. He spent $\frac{2}{5}$ of it on a book, then $\frac{1}{3}$ of the remainder on lunch. How much did he spend on lunch?

What the working usually does

$\frac{1}{3}$ of$60=$20

Takes the third of the starting amount.

What the question asked

$\frac{1}{3}$ of$36=$12

Takes it of what was left after the book.

Both look like correct working, and neither has an arithmetic error. That is why this one is hard to catch over a child's shoulder: the mistake is in the setup, and the setup is one word long.

The same P5 fractions and division question, worked properly

Lah works through it the way she does every question in StudyLah: one step at a time, marking the picture as she goes.

Daniel sold $\frac{1}{4}$ of his muffins in the first hour and $\frac{2}{3}$ of the muffins that were left in the next hour. What fraction of the muffins did he sell?

Step 1 of 5▌

Draw a bar model for all the muffins and cut it into 4 equal units. In the first hour, Daniel sold $\frac{1}{4}$ of them, which is 1 unit.
Take that 1 unit away, and 3 units are left. The $\frac{2}{3}$ is a fraction of the remainder, so it is of these 3 units, not all 4.
Branch the remainder: $\frac{2}{3}$ of the 3 units left is 2 units.
Altogether Daniel sold 1 + 2 = 3 units out of 4, which is $\frac{3}{4}$ of the muffins.
So Daniel sold $\frac{3}{4}$ of his muffins.

Every question in StudyLah comes with a walkthrough like this one.

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Three quick P5 fractions and division questions

Try them together, then tap to check.

Question 1

7 pizzas were shared equally among 4 children. How much pizza did each child get?

Show answer

Answer $1\frac{3}{4}$ pizzas. 7 ÷ 4 = $\frac{7}{4}$ , and seven quarters is 1 whole and 3 quarters.

Question 2

Find $\frac{5}{6}$ of 42.

Show answer

Answer35. Cut 42 into 6 equal units, so 1 unit is 42 ÷ 6 = 7, and 5 units are 5 × 7 = 35.

Question 3

Find the product of $\frac{4}{9}$ and $\frac{2}{5}$ .

Show answer

Answer $\frac{8}{45}$ . Multiply the numerators, 4 × 2 = 8, then the denominators, 9 × 5 = 45.

Helping at home

How to tell it has clicked

You do not need to do the maths to check this. Ask your child to draw the question before solving it: a bar cut into the parts the question describes.

If they can draw it, they have understood it. If they cannot draw it but still get an answer, they have matched the question to one they have seen before, and that holds only until the numbers move.

Try this tonight

Read a fraction question aloud together and stop at every fraction to ask one thing: "a third of what?"

It takes a minute and it targets exactly the step that fails. If they cannot answer, go back one sentence and ask what was left at that point.

Before and after P5 fractions and division

Builds on
Primary 4 Fractions
Adds fractions once the pieces match
You are here
Primary 5 Fractions and Division
Takes a fraction of what is left
Leads to
Primary 5 Percentage
Writes parts of a whole out of 100
Head Start
How to prepare for PSLE Maths: P5 to P6 revision
One of five P5 topics to revise before P6 Term 1
Leads to
Primary 6 Fractions
Divides fractions into equal shares
Leads to
Primary 6 Ratio
Splits a quantity into units

The methods your child will use here

More in Primary 5

Struggling with the working rather than the topic itself? How to help your child with problem sums

See how your child is doing on this topic

StudyLah marks each step separately, so you can see whether it was the setup or the arithmetic that cost the mark.

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