Step 1: Change the relationship symbol to "=". Graph the resulting line. If the original relationship symbol was or , do it with a dashed or broken line. If your symbol was or , graph the equation with a solid line.
Step 2: Pick any point on the coordinate plane that does not lie on the line you just graphed. If the line does not pass through the origin, then the origin is an excellent choice for this step. If the line does pass through the origin, select a point other than the origin -- I recommend a point that has small integer coordinates.
Step 3: Substitute the values of the coordinates of the point chosen in Step 2 for the corresponding variables in the inequality you started with in Step 1.
Step 4: Do the appropriate arithmetic to determine whether the substitution created a true statement or not. If you created a true statement, shade in the side of the line containing the point selected in Step 2. If you created a false statement, shade in the side of the line that does not contain the selected point.
