Lizzy: Ed and Jacob already had 2 shells in their shell collection. Then they went to the beach to collect even more. Ed found 7 limpet shells, 2 oyster shells, and 4 conch shells. Jacob found 2 more shells than Ed did. How many shells do the pair have altogether?.
Me: Hmmm, let me think. I think this is the detailed solution:
Ed found 7 shells + 2 shells + 4 shells = 13 shells at the beach. Jacob found 13 shells + 2 shells = 15 shells at the beach. In total Ed and Jacob have 2 shells + 13 shells + 15 shells = 30 shells. Final answer: 30.