We have seen that it is important to start by clearly labeling the variables in a short list before we begin to solve the problem. This is important in all word problems involving variables, not just consecutive numbers or geometry problems. This is shown in the following example. Example A sofa and a love seat together costs `$444`. The sofa costs double the love seat. How much do they each cost?

love seat = `x`	Set love seat cost to `x`
sofa = `2x`	Sofa is double the love seat, so we multiply by 2
`S+L=444`	Sofa is double the love seat, so we multiply by 2
(x)+(2x)=444	Replace S and L with labeled values
`3x=444`	Parenthesis are not needed, combine like terms x + 2x
`(3x)/color(red)(3)=444/color(red)(3)`	Divide both sides by 3
`x=148`	Our solution for x
Love Seat`= 148`	Replace x with 148 in the origional list
Sofa`= 296`	The love seat costs S148 and the sofa costs S296.