To solve the equation \(-3 ( y + 6 ) = 21\), the first step is to isolate the term with \(y\).
The correct first step would be to divide both sides by \(-3\). This will help eliminate the coefficient of \(-3\) in front of the parentheses.
After dividing both sides by \(-3\), the equation becomes:
\[ y + 6 = -7 \]
The second step would then be to subtract 6 from both sides to isolate \(y\).
So the answer you are looking for is:
Subtract 6 from both sides.