que/el que/la que etc
I have difficulty understanding what is the correct answer in multiple choice exams where you fill in the gaps and you have a choice between
el/la que
or just
que.
For example:
Mientras miraba la bandera nacional ____________ se alzaba lentamente en el mástil de honor, con el sol arriba y las cuatro barras celestes, en el centro de todas las banderas y más alta que todas, Arispe sintió que se le rompía el pecho.
a) que b) la que
Could someone please explain the difference?
3 Answers
I would say que for your example.
You use que if it comes immediately after the antecedent and if nothing separates it from the antecedent, not even a comma. It can mean that, which, who, or whom.
El que and its other forms (la que, los que, las que) is generally used when there is more distance between the antecedent and the relative pronoun such as a comma or a one word preposition.
It's also better to use these forms with prepositions like sin, por, and para instead of just que to help avoid confusion with sin que, porque, and para que.
My attempt: Corrections are appreciated.
El que and its other forms (la que, los que, las que) must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
la que - is modifying the noun, flag (bandera)
I understand that it needs to agree with the gender but I don't understand how to decide between la que and que
I think the answer is a) que
