Begin by switching sides. That's an equal sign so there is no loss in doing that.
x/2 + 1 = -7 Subtract 1 from both sides.
x/2 + 1 - 1 = - 7 - 1 When you subtract 1 from -7 you get minus 8
x/2 = - 8 Multiply both sides by 2
x/2 * 2 = - 8 * 2
x = - 16
Answer: x = - 16
