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Question

Difficulty: EasySentence Structure and Relative Clauses

Read the following sentence from a student's argumentative essay:

'La tecnología moderna tiene muchos beneficios, pero _____ me preocupa es la falta de privacidad.'

Which of the following relative pronouns correctly completes the sentence to express the idea of 'what' or 'that which'?

  1. lo queAnswer
  2. B
    que
  3. C
    lo cual
  4. D
    el que

Answer

lo que
The correct answer is 'lo que'. In Spanish, when you want to say 'what' or 'that which' to refer to an abstract concept, an unnamed object, or a general situation (rather than a specific masculine or feminine noun), you must use the neuter relative pronoun 'lo que'. In this sentence, it perfectly captures the abstract idea of 'the thing that worries me'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the function of the missing word in the sentence.
The missing word introduces a relative clause that functions as the subject of the second half of the sentence: '[that which] worries me'.
Understanding the grammatical role helps eliminate incorrect pronouns.
2
Analyze the antecedent (the word the pronoun refers back to).
There is no specific noun antecedent. The pronoun refers to an abstract, unnamed concept ('the thing that').
Relative pronouns in Spanish change based on whether they refer to a specific noun or an abstract idea.
3
Select the appropriate relative pronoun for an abstract, unnamed concept.
'lo que' is the correct choice.
'Lo que' is the neuter relative pronoun specifically designed to mean 'what' or 'that which' when there is no specific gendered noun antecedent.

Key Concept

Neuter Relative Pronouns

Hints

1
Think about how you say 'what' when it is not part of a question (e.g., 'I know what you did').
2
You need a neuter relative pronoun because you are referring to an abstract idea ('the thing that'), not a specific masculine or feminine noun.
3
The correct phrase translates literally to 'that which'.

Practice More

Review the differences between 'que', 'quien', and 'lo que' in relative clauses.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Sentence Structure and Relative Clauses

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