Question 1
Which relative pronoun should fill the blank: “The boy backpack is green is Jamal”?
- whose
- who
- where
- which
Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.4.1.a: using relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why) correctly. Students must choose the appropriate relative word based on what it refers to. Relative pronouns connect information about people or things: WHO for people doing actions, WHOSE for possession, WHICH or THAT for things or animals. The correct choice depends on whether you're adding information about a person, thing, place, time, or reason. In this sentence, the relative pronoun connects information about possession - specifically, whose backpack belongs to whom. The sentence is describing a boy and identifying him by his green backpack. Choice A (whose) is correct because WHOSE shows possession and connects information about who owns the backpack. We use WHOSE when connecting a clause about possession or ownership, which is exactly what this sentence needs. Choice B (who) represents confusing subject pronouns with possessive pronouns, which occurs when students don't distinguish between pronouns for people doing actions versus showing ownership. Using 'who' doesn't work because it refers to people performing actions, not showing possession. To help students: Teach simple rules - WHO for people, WHICH/THAT for things, WHERE for places, WHEN for times, WHY for reasons, WHOSE for possession. Create anchor chart with examples like 'The girl WHOSE book is red' vs 'The girl WHO reads books'. Practice identifying whether the pronoun shows action or possession. Watch for: confusing WHO (subject) and WHOSE (possessive), using WHERE for possession, forgetting that WHOSE shows ownership. Have students ask 'Does this show who owns something?' to check for WHOSE.