Whip key word would help you decide which operation to use to solve the following if Kay has 5 pencils but gives 1 to Mary how many would she have left

The keyword that would help determine the operation to solve this problem is "gives."

The keyword that would help you decide which operation to use in this situation is "gives".

The keyword in this problem is "gives." This indicates that there is a subtraction involved. To solve the problem, we need to subtract the number of pencils Mary receives from the total number of pencils Kay has.

To find out how many pencils Mary has left, follow these steps:

1. Start with the total number of pencils Kay has, which is 5.
2. Subtract the number of pencils Kay gives to Mary, which is 1.
3. Calculate the result: 5 - 1 = 4.

Therefore, Mary would have 4 pencils left.