Alright, let's solve this problem step by step. We have 5294 and 6697 and we're adding them together.

Step 1: We'll start by adding the digits 4 & 7 in column 1 and get 11.
We'll write down the last digit 1 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 2: We'll start by adding the digits 9 & 9 in column 2 and get 19.
We'll write down the last digit 9 and carry the 1 to the next column.

Step 3: We'll start by adding the digits 2 & 6 in column 3 and get 9.

Step 4: We'll start by adding the digits 5 & 6 in column 4 and get 11.
We'll write down the last digit 1 and carry the 1 to the next column.

So, 5294 + 6697 = 11991.

