Write the given algebraic expression without parentheses: -(4x - 4y - 5).

Step-by-step solution

1. 1

   Read the leading minus as a factor of $-1$. There is no visible number in front of the bracket, so the expression is really $(-1)(4x - 4y - 5)$. Seeing it this way turns a sign puzzle into an ordinary distribution.

2. 2

   Distribute $-1$ to every term. Each of the three terms inside gets multiplied:

   $(-1)(4x) = -4x, \qquad (-1)(-4y) = +4y, \qquad (-1)(-5) = +5$

   The rule in words: a minus in front of a bracket flips the sign of every term inside, not just the first.

3. 3

   Assemble the result.

   $-(4x - 4y - 5) = -4x + 4y + 5$

4. 4

   Watch the last term specifically. Writing $-4x + 4y - 5$ is the standard error — the $-5$ is inside the bracket, so it must become $+5$. Anything you copy across unchanged is a sign you forgot to distribute.

5. 5

   Check with a test value. Take $x = 1$, $y = 2$. The original is $-(4 - 8 - 5) = -(-9) = 9$. The answer gives $-4 + 8 + 5 = 9$ ✓.