1) Open up any parentheses if there are any 2) Combine like terms (moving the variable to one side and other numbers to the other) 3) solve using pemdas/bedmas and any additional steps you need to isolate the variable 4) if x turns out negative, invert the sign
Example: 2x+5=3(x+1) Open up the parentheses by multiplying it by 3 2x+5=3x+3 Combine like terms 2x-3x=3-5 -x=-2 x=2
