Which word correctly completes: "I know a girl can sing very well"?
- which
- whose
- who (correct answer)
- when
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 a person (a girl) who can perform an action (sing). The sentence is describing a girl by telling what she can do. Choice C (who) is correct because WHO refers to the person who is doing the action of singing. We use WHO when connecting a clause about a person performing an action, which is exactly what this sentence needs. Choice A (which) represents using a thing pronoun for a person, which occurs when students don't distinguish between pronouns for people versus things. Using 'which' doesn't work because WHICH is for things or animals, not people. 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: 'The boy WHO plays', 'The dog WHICH barks'. Practice identifying whether the pronoun refers to a person or thing before choosing. Watch for: using WHICH for people, confusing WHO (subject) and WHOSE (possessive), using WHEN for people. Have students replace relative pronoun with what it refers to to check ('A girl WHO can sing' → 'A girl - she can sing').