Counting Backward
Counting backward means going DOWN by 1 each time: 10, 9, 8, 7... You need to find the NEXT number in the sequence that is one LESS. Think of a countdown — each step goes one number smaller.
Worked examples
What comes next? 5, 4, 3, __
Look at the pattern: 5 → 4 → 3. Each number goes DOWN by 1. After 3 comes 3 − 1 = 2. Answer: 2.
Answer: 2
What comes next? 10, 9, 8, __
Pattern: 10 → 9 → 8. Each number is 1 LESS than the one before. After 8 comes 8 − 1 = 7. Answer: 7.
Answer: 7
What comes next? 15, 14, 13, __
Pattern: 15, 14, 13. Going DOWN by 1 each step. After 13 comes 13 − 1 = 12. Answer: 12.
Answer: 12
What comes next? 3, 2, 1, __
Pattern: 3, 2, 1. Going DOWN by 1. After 1 comes 1 − 1 = 0. Zero comes after one when counting backward. Answer: 0.
Answer: 0
What comes next? 20, 19, 18, __
Pattern: 20, 19, 18. Counting DOWN by 1 each time. After 18 comes 18 − 1 = 17. Answer: 17.
Answer: 17
Tips
- •Counting backward means going DOWN — each number is 1 LESS.
- •Subtract 1 from the last number shown to find the next one.
- •Say the counting sequence out loud: 10, 9, 8, 7... until you reach the blank.
- •Think of a rocket countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0!
- •The sequence will never go below 0.