To evaluate the expression \(-4 - (-9)\) using the concept of additive inverses, you can rewrite the expression. The subtraction of a negative number is equivalent to addition:
\[
-4 - (-9) = -4 + 9
\]
Now, you can simplify this:
\[
-4 + 9 = 5
\]
So, the correct response is:
**Because negative 4 plus 9 is an equivalent expression, the answer is 5.**