Grade 7 · CAPS

Grade 7 Patterns & Algebra

Maths practice questions and a worked example

Grade 7 Patterns and Algebra covers extending number sequences and finding a general term, describing the parts of an algebraic expression, substituting values into an expression, and solving one- and two-step linear equations. Questions here are drawn from real Grade 7 school test and exam papers (Tom Newby School, June and November 2022), covering the exact mix of sequence, substitution and equation-solving questions that come up in a Grade 7 algebra test.

Worked example

A sequence follows the rule shown in this table: Term (n): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Nth term: 5, 8, 11, 14, ___ Write down the next term in the sequence (the missing 5th value).

Answer & explanation

To find the next term in the sequence, we first identify the pattern. The sequence given is 5, 8, 11, 14. We notice that each term increases by 3 from the previous term. 1. Start with the first term: 5. 2. Add 3 to get the second term: 5 + 3 = 8. 3. Add 3 again to get the third term: 8 + 3 = 11. 4. Add 3 again to get the fourth term: 11 + 3 = 14. 5. To find the fifth term, add 3 to the fourth term: 14 + 3 = 17. Therefore, the next term in the sequence is 17.

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Patterns & Algebra

Question 1 of 3

Write down the missing term in the sequence: 1; 4; 9; 16; ___; 36

A25B30C28D20

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Common mistakes

Mixing up the coefficient, variable and constant of a term, and sign errors when solving an equation with a subtraction or division step (forgetting to flip the sign when moving a term across the equals sign).