Simplify the expression $a+1+a-2+a+3+a-4$.
I see that there are four terms that have $a$ as the variable, so I will group them together and add their coefficients: $(a+a+a+a)+(1-2+3-4)$. The coefficient of $a$ is $1+1+1+1=4$, so I can write $4a$ instead of $a+a+a+a$. The constant terms are $1-2+3-4=-2$, so I can write $-2$ instead of $(1-2+3-4)$. Therefore, the simplified expression is $4a-2$. 