Alright, let's solve this problem step by step. We have 8993 and 7961 and we're adding them together.

Step 1: We'll start by adding the digits 3 & 1 in column 1 and get 4.

Step 2: We'll start by adding the digits 9 & 6 in column 2 and get 15.
We'll write down the last digit 5 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 3: We'll start by adding the digits 9 & 9 in column 3 and get 19.
We'll write down the last digit 9 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 4: We'll start by adding the digits 8 & 7 in column 4 and get 16.
We'll write down the last digit 6 and carry the 1 to the next column.

So, 8993 + 7961 = 16954.

