7 9/12 = 7.75
2 11/12 = 2.917
So we can round both of these up.
7.75 rounds to 8
2.917 rounds to 3
8 + 3 = 11
So the estimated sum is 11.
7 9/12 + 2 11/12 = 10 2/3
So the actual sum is 10 2/3.
The estimated sum is a pretty good estimate to the original number.