Tuoi Tre Online newspaper received feedback from readers that question number 30 of the English subject of the 10th grade entrance exam in Quang Ngai, answer C announced by the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ngai province is incorrect, the correct answer should be A. The Department confirmed that answer C is completely correct.

Choose A or C, which answer is correct?

Accordingly, in the past few days, many controversies have occurred with question number 30 of the English subject of the 10th grade entrance exam in Quang Ngai. The question is about relative clauses, located in the reading section of the exam.

According to Mr. Thanh (the person who sent the question to Tuoi Tre newspaper), not only himself, but also after consulting with many experts, the answer to question number 30 must be A. He was very surprised when the answer was C.

Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Y. (Quang Ngai City) also thinks that the correct answer must be A. Ms. Y. explains, "Places is just where, "wheres" refers to a location, not an object. Not to mention that the following is a clause. Choose answer A "where" because it is a relative adverb, and answer C "which" is a relative pronoun."

Before the official answer was announced by the authorities, many websites that solved the questions and provided reference answers also chose answer A for question number 30.

Meanwhile, many people believe that answer C. announced by the department is correct. Ms. T. (Quang Ngai City) explained: "Visit does not have a preposition, it means visit somewhere only, it is always at which, in which then where is used. Therefore, choosing which (answer C) is completely correct".

Regarding two opposing opinions on the correct answer to question number 30, speaking with Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Tran Sy - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Ngai - said, "To have the test questions and answers for the English subject for the 10th grade entrance exam in 2024, the test-making group of 4 teachers was organized and systematically reviewed. Therefore, the test questions and answer C in question number 30 are completely correct."

The question-giving group explains why answer C is correct.

To explain to parents, candidates and the public, the Department of Education and Training invited two teachers in the exam planning team to explain in detail.

Accordingly, for the blank in question 30 of the English reading comprehension, this blank usually needs a "relative pronoun" to replace the word "places" right before it.

To choose the correct answer, students must not only base on the word "places" before the blank, but also base on the verb "visit" in the clause after "they visit".

"In the context of this reading passage, the verb "visit" means "to visit". As we know, in the phrase "visit a certain place", "visit" is the verb, and "somewhere" is an object (in English called an object)".

The reason "places" here is the object of the verb "visit" is because the verb "visit" directly affects the noun in front "places", said Ms. Tran Thi Bich Luu (a member of the test-making team).

Thus, in the relative clause "the place which they visit", "places" here is the object of the verb "visit"; "places" here is equivalent to a noun that refers to a thing or event (in English called "something").

"Therefore, students must choose option "C" - which is the relative pronoun "which", Ms. Luu added.

Explaining the confusion caused by many people with knowledge of English and even candidates, the test-making team stated that it is possible that the person who chose answer A thought that instead of "places", he should have chosen "where".

""Where" instead of "places" is correct, but "where" cannot be the object because "where" is a relative adverb, it functions as an adverb. Therefore, it cannot be the object of the verb "visit"", Ms. Luu explained.