a)
\(\eqalign{
& xy - y\sqrt x + \sqrt x - 1 \cr
& = y\sqrt x \left( {\sqrt x - 1} \right) + \left( {\sqrt x - 1} \right) \cr
& = \left( {\sqrt x - 1} \right)\left( {y\sqrt x + 1} \right) \cr} \)
b)
\(\eqalign{
& \sqrt {ax} - \sqrt {by} + \sqrt {bx} - \sqrt {ay} \cr
& = \left( {\sqrt {ax} + \sqrt {bx} } \right) - \left( {\sqrt {ay} + \sqrt {by} } \right) \cr
& = \sqrt x \left( {\sqrt a + \sqrt b } \right) - \sqrt y \left( {\sqrt a + \sqrt b } \right) \cr
& = \left( {\sqrt a + \sqrt b } \right)\left( {\sqrt x - \sqrt y } \right) \cr} \)
c)
\(\eqalign{
& \sqrt {a + b} + \sqrt {{a^2} - {b^2}} \cr
& = \sqrt {a + b} + \sqrt {\left( {a + b} \right)\left( {a - b} \right)} \cr
& = \sqrt {a + b} \left( {1 + \sqrt {a - b} } \right) \cr} \)
d)
\(\eqalign{
& 12 - \sqrt x - x \cr
& = 12 - 4\sqrt x + 3\sqrt x - x \cr
& = 4\left( {3 - \sqrt x } \right) + \sqrt x \left( {3 - \sqrt x } \right) \cr
& = \left( {3 - \sqrt x } \right)\left( {4 + \sqrt x } \right) \cr} \)