when to simplify vs divide

Hi Al Gallucci, that's a great question!

When working with fractions, you should always reduce the fraction to the lowest possible term. If the top number of your fraction (the numerator) is larger than the bottom number (the denominator) then you should divide before reducing.

Does that make sense?

For your specific problem, the numerator is smaller than the denominator. 

Since -1/3 can not be reduced or divided, the answer is simply -1/3.

Another Example:

If your fraction looked like this: 44/8, you would first divide the fraction because the numerator is larger than the denominator. The answer would be 5 4/8. You would then reduce the fraction to the lowest possible terms. The answer would be 5 1/2. 

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any additional questions.