Two Steps

In $2x+3 < 11$, two things happen to $x$. First $x$ is multiplied by 2, then 3 is added. You solve it the same way as a two-step equation. Undo the addition first by subtracting 3 from both sides, then undo the multiplication by dividing both sides by 2:

$$2x < 8$$

$$x < 4$$

Subtracting 3 keeps the sign, and dividing by 2 keeps the sign because 2 is positive, so the < stays a < the whole way.

The order of the steps is the same as for equations. Undo the number that was added or subtracted first, and undo the coefficient last. To check the answer, try $x = 0$. It is less than 4, and $2\cdot 0+3 = 3$, which is less than 11, so it satisfies the original inequality.