Question: John and James decided to have a dance-off. John danced for 3 hours and then another 5 hours after taking a 1-hour break. James danced the whole time John was dancing and resting, and then another 1/3 times more hours. How long was their combined dancing time without including John's break time? Think carefully first, then make a decision:
John dances 3 + 5 = 8 hours. John's total time is 3 + 5 + 1 = 9 hours. James dances 9 / 3 = 3 hours longer than that. So James dances 9 + 3 = 12 hours. So the total dancing time is 8 + 12 = 20 hours. So the answer is 20.