(12x-14)-(3x+9)-(-4-1)
= 9x-18
12x-3x=9x
-14-9+4+1=-18
*Subtracting a group of numbers in parenthesis is the same as -1 times what every is in the parenthesis.
So it would be (12x-14)+(-3x-9)+(4+1)... which makes the equation alot easier to simplify.