Graphing linear relations
Substitute an x value into the equation to get y, then plot that pair; the number multiplying x is the slope.
A worked example
For y = 5x − 4, when x = 2 then y = 5(2) − 4 = 6, so plot (2, 6). The slope is 5 and the y-intercept is −4.
The mistake people actually make
The y-intercept is the value of y when x is zero, read off the vertical axis. A negative coefficient makes the line fall from left to right.