Subtract 2x from both sides to get: -2x + y = 7. We need the x-term to be positive, so multiply the equation by -1 to get our answer: 2x - y = 7. Example3: Write the equation of the line: y = (1/2)x + 8 in standard form. First, subtract (1/2)x form both sides to get: (-1/2)x + y = 8.
