Writing expressions with variables

Five less than the product of four and a number x.

4x - 5

five less than the product of -3 and a number is -2

To write an expression for "Five less than the product of four and a number x," we can break down the problem into smaller steps:

1. Start with the variable x, which represents the unknown number.
2. Multiply x by 4 to get the product of four and x, which is 4x.
3. Subtract 5 from the result obtained in the previous step.

Combining these steps, the expression would be: 4x - 5.