Our goal is to isolate x on one side of the variable with no coefficient. Let's begin. First, let's get subtract 3x from both sides to cancel the +3x on the right. We are then left with:
Next, subtract 8 from both sides to cancel the +8 on the right. This isolates x on the left side. When we do that, we get:
Since we are solving for x, x cannot have a coefficient. To remove the coefficient, divide both sides by the coefficient, which is -5.