1. **State the problem:** We need to find an expression equivalent to $0.5(-14a - 22)$ and write it in the form $[\ ]a - [\ ? ]$. 2. **Use the distributive property:** Multiply $0.5$ by each term inside the parentheses: $$0.5(-14a - 22) = 0.5 \times (-14a) + 0.5 \times (-22)$$ 3. **Calculate each product:** $$0.5 \times (-14a) = -7a$$ $$0.5 \times (-22) = -11$$ 4. **Write the equivalent expression:** $$-7a - 11$$ 5. **Final answer:** The expression equivalent to $0.5(-14a - 22)$ is $-7a - 11$.