Subtracting from a negative number
Subtracting a positive number from a negative number is straightforward if you follow this rule:
\(- a - b = - (a + b)\)
Example
\(- 2 - 3\)
Start at \(-2\) and go down \(3\).
Question
\(- 11 - 4\)
Start at \(-11\) and go down \(4\).
The answer is \(-15\).
Question
\(- 4 - 5\)
The answer is \(- 9\).
Question
\(- 19 - 2\)
The answer is \(-21\).