If (a=2)(b=-3)(c=-1) and (d=4); then the first expression would be written as (2•4–2), which is equivalent to (8–2), it is also equivalent to (6); and the second expression would be written as (5•-3•-1), which is equivalent to (-15•-1), as well as (15), it ends up being positive because a negative number multiplied by a negative number equals a positive number.