Expand (x+1)(x-4)

Using the "FOIL" Technique should help with the expansion, telling you what order to multiply things together. F stands for "firsts", so the first step is to multiply the first things in each bracket together and you get x^2. O stands "outsides" so the next step is to multiply the things on the outside of each bracket together and we get -4x. I stands for "insides" so next we multiply the things on the inside of each bracket, and we get x. Finally, L stands for "lasts" so we finish by multiplying the last thing in each bracket together and we get -4. The last step is then to put it all together and tidy it up. So we get x^2-4x+x-4 which simplifies to x^2-3x-4.