If a child has 85 candies and gives 47 candies to a friend, how many candies does the child have left?

Step-by-step solution

1. Write $85$ above $47$ in column form.
2. Subtract the units digit: $5-7$ cannot be done; borrow 1 from the tens column (making the tens digit $7$) and add $10$ to the units: $15-7=8$; write $8$.
3. Subtract the tens digit: $7-4=3$; write $3$.
4. The result is $38$.

Concept tested: Borrowing in subtraction

Published 10 October 2026 · How this solution was prepared and checked