You have the following equation:
secx - cosx = sinxtanx
In order to verify the previous identity, you show that the left side is equal to the right side. You proceed as follow:
secx - cosx = 1/cosx - cosx
to get the same denominators multiply by cosx/cosx in the second term:
1/cosx - cos²x/cosx
add the homogeneus fractions:
(1 - cos²x)/cosx
use the identity sin²x + cos²x = 1 => 1 - cos²x = sin²x
sin²x/cosx
write sin²x as sinxsinx
(sinx)(sinx/cosx)
separate the expression into two factors by replacing sinx/cosx = tanx
(sinx)(tanx)
Then, the given equation is an identity and it has been demonstrated that
secx - cosx = sinx tanx