Can somebody please explain to me how to do this? (simple algebra)

Anything that has to do with math is so easy for me, but when it comes to this distributive property crap, my brain turns to mush. PLEASE explain it to me, don't just give me the answers.

Simplify these problems:

1. -(5x + 5) - 4 + 8x
2. 7(2x - 4) - (10 - 3x)
3. 6x + (14x - 5) + (17 - 3x)

1.-(5x + 5) - 4 + 8x
When you have a number in front of the bracket then you have to times everything inside the bracket by that number. If there is only a minus - in front then that means there is actually -1...
if you times -1 by 5x you get -5x and -1*5=-5 so...
-(5x + 5) - 4 - 8x=-5x - 5 - 4 + 8x
if you have numbers of the same term then you sum them up together,,,, 8x-5x=3x and -5-4=-9
so the answer to the first question is 3x - 9

2. 7(2x - 4) - (10 - 3x)=7*2x - 7*4 -10 +3 (because a minus times a minus is a plus -1*-3=3)
14x-28 -10 +3x=17x - 38

3.6x + (14x - 5) + (17 - 3x) there are pluses in front of brackets so you can just ignore the brackets
6x + 14x - 5 + 17 - 3x=20x + 12

Hope it helped

Always do brackets first. eg. in -(7r + 6z) + 3 -7r you get -7r -6z + 3 -7r
Remember the "lonely" - has a value of 1.
Then you add, -7r -6z + 3 -7r = -7r -7r -6z +3 = 3 -14r -6z
If that didn't help, answer for 1 is 3x -9
Hope you get it now.