You can
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If |x + 2| < 5, then a < x < b. Find a and b.
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The formulation of the problem in the post is incorrect.
The correct formulation is " find the maximum a and the minimum b such that a < x < b. "
Or even simpler: "Find the solution set for x".
Below is the solution for this modified formulation.
if |x+2| < 5, it means that
-5 < x+2 < 5.
Subtract 2 from each of the 3 sides of this compound inequality.
You will get then
-7 < x < 3.
It is what you want to get: a = -7; b = 3. ANSWER
Solved (in the right modified formulation).
