The answer is 23/40
To simplify this expression, we need to find a common denominator for each pair of fractions that are being added or subtracted.
The common denominator for 1/4 and 1/5 is 20, so we can rewrite 1/4 as 5/20 and 1/5 as 4/20. Then, we can subtract these fractions to get 1/20.
The common denominator for -3/4 and 1/8 is 8, so we can rewrite -3/4 as -6/8. Then, we can add these fractions to get -5/8.
Now, we can combine the two simplified fractions by finding a common denominator of 40. We can do this by multiplying 20 and 8, which gives us 160.
Then, we can rewrite 1/20 as 2/40 and -5/8 as -25/40. Adding these fractions together gives us:
2/40 - 25/40 = -23/40.
The absolute value of any number is always positive so it becomes 23/40.
The simplified version of (1/4 - 1/5) + (-3/4 + 1/8) is 23/40.