1. Let's solve the equation $-4 - \frac{2y}{5} = -12$ step-by-step. 2. First, we want to get rid of the $-4$ on the left side to isolate the term with $y$. We do this by adding $4$ to both sides: $$-4 - \frac{2y}{5} + 4 = -12 + 4$$ 3. Simplify both sides: $$- \frac{2y}{5} = -8$$ 4. Now, to get rid of the fraction, multiply both sides by $5$: $$5 \times \left(- \frac{2y}{5}\right) = 5 \times (-8)$$ 5. When multiplying, the $5$ cancels with the denominator $5$: $$\cancel{5} \times \left(- \frac{2y}{\cancel{5}}\right) = -40$$ which simplifies to: $$-2y = -40$$ 6. To isolate $y$, divide both sides by $-2$: $$\frac{-2y}{-2} = \frac{-40}{-2}$$ 7. Cancel the $-2$ on the left side: $$\cancel{-2} y / \cancel{-2} = 20$$ which simplifies to: $$y = 20$$ 8. So, the solution is $y = 20$. This means if you put $20$ in place of $y$ in the original equation, both sides will be equal!