Question

What does 1/4 y + 3/8 equal?

Answer 1

Not much you can do here other than to factor.  Please, next time, share all of the instructions.  

If we factor:   (1/4)y = (2/8)y; then we find ourselves adding (2/8)y and (3/8).
We can factor out (1/8): 

                    (2/8)y + 3/8   =   (1/8)(2 + 3)