Tally Marks
Tally marks are a simple way to count and record data. Instead of writing numbers, we draw short lines to count things one by one. Every fifth line crosses the first four to make a group of 5.
In Class 2, we learn to use tally marks to collect information and organise it in a tally chart.
What is Tally Marks - Class 2 Maths (Data Handling (Grade 2))?
A tally mark is a short vertical line ( | ) used for counting.
- 1 = |
- 2 = ||
- 3 = |||
- 4 = ||||
- 5 = |||| (four lines with a diagonal line crossing them)
Every group of 5 tally marks = ||||
This grouping makes it easy to count by 5s.
Tally Marks Formula
How to make a tally chart:
- Write the items or categories in one column
- Read through the data one by one
- For each item, draw one tally mark next to its name
- After every 4 marks, cross them with a 5th line
- Count the tally marks to write the total
Solved Examples
Example 1: Example 1: Drawing Tally Marks
Question: Draw tally marks for the number 7.
Think:
- First group of 5: ||||
- Then 2 more: ||
Answer: 7 = |||| ||
Example 2: Example 2: Reading Tally Marks
Question: How many does this show? |||| |||| |||
Think:
- First group = 5
- Second group = 5
- Extra marks = 3
- Total = 5 + 5 + 3 = 13
Answer: The tally marks show 13.
Example 3: Example 3: Favourite Fruit Survey
Question: Ria asked her classmates about their favourite fruit. Mango got 8 votes, Apple got 5, and Banana got 3. Show this in a tally chart.
| Fruit | Tally | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Mango | |||| ||| | 8 |
| Apple | |||| | 5 |
| Banana | ||| | 3 |
Answer: The tally chart shows Mango is the most popular with 8 votes.
Example 4: Example 4: Counting from a Tally Chart
Question: A tally chart shows: Red = |||| ||, Blue = ||||, Green = ||||. Which colour got the most votes?
Think:
- Red = 5 + 2 = 7
- Blue = 4
- Green = 5
- 7 is the most
Answer: Red got the most votes (7).
Example 5: Example 5: Making a Tally Chart for Shapes
Question: Aman counts shapes in a picture: 6 circles, 4 squares, 9 triangles. Draw tally marks for each.
Answer:
| Shape | Tally | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | |||| | | 6 |
| Square | |||| | 4 |
| Triangle | |||| |||| | 9 |
Example 6: Example 6: Total from Tally
Question: In a class, 10 children like cricket, 6 like football, and 4 like badminton. How many children were asked in total?
Think:
- Cricket = 10, Football = 6, Badminton = 4
- Total = 10 + 6 + 4 = 20
Answer: 20 children were asked in total.
Example 7: Example 7: Difference from Tally
Question: Priya's tally chart shows: Dogs = |||| |||, Cats = ||||. How many more children like dogs than cats?
Think:
- Dogs = 8, Cats = 5
- Difference = 8 − 5 = 3
Answer: 3 more children like dogs than cats.
Key Points to Remember
- Tally marks are lines used for counting: | = 1, |||| = 5.
- Every 5th mark crosses the previous 4 to make a group of 5.
- Count tally marks in groups of 5 for easy counting.
- A tally chart has columns for the item, tally marks, and the count.
- Tally charts help us collect, organise, and compare data.
Practice Problems
- Draw tally marks for the number 12.
- How many does this show: ⁄|||| ⁄|||| |||| ?
- Make a tally chart for: 7 roses, 5 sunflowers, 3 lotuses.
- In a survey, 9 children like chocolate ice cream and 6 like vanilla. Show this using tally marks.
- Which is more: ⁄|||| ||| or ⁄|||| ⁄|||| ?
- Dev counted 15 cars and 8 buses on the road. Draw tally marks for each and find the total vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are tally marks?
Tally marks are short lines used for counting. Each line stands for 1. Every fifth line crosses the first four to make a group of 5.
Q2. Why do we group tally marks in fives?
Grouping in fives makes it easy to count large numbers quickly. We can skip count by 5s instead of counting each line.
Q3. What is a tally chart?
A tally chart is a table with three columns: the item name, the tally marks, and the count (number). It helps organise data.
Q4. How do I draw tally marks for 5?
Draw 4 vertical lines and then draw a fifth line diagonally across them. This makes one complete group of 5.
Q5. When do we use tally marks?
We use tally marks when counting things in a survey, counting objects, or collecting data from a group of people.
Q6. How do I read tally marks?
Count the number of complete groups of 5 (multiply by 5), then add any extra single lines.
