The wandering albatross, which can remain airborne for months and cover vast oceanic distances, holds the record for the largest...

Let's begin by understanding the meaning of this sentence. We'll use our understanding of pause points and segment the sentence as shown - understanding and assimilating the meaning of each segment bit by bit!

Sentence Structure

• The wandering albatross,
• which can remain airborne for months
• and cover vast oceanic distances,
• holds the record for the largest wingspan of any living bird.

• The species,
• which feeds on squid and fish
• but also returns to (?) breeding grounds on remote islands annually,
• has been classified as vulnerable due to declining populations.

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start reading from the beginning:

The first sentence tells us about the wandering albatross:

• It's a bird that can remain airborne for months
• It can cover vast oceanic distances
• It holds the record for the largest wingspan of any living bird

Now the second sentence gives us more information:

• 'The species' - this is referring back to the wandering albatross
• It feeds on squid and fish
• But it also returns to _____ breeding grounds on remote islands annually

Now here's where we need to fill in the blank: 'returns to _____ breeding grounds'

Let's look at our choices:

• it's vs. its - one is a contraction (it is/it has), one is possessive
• their vs. they're - one is possessive (plural), one is a contraction (they are)

What do we notice about what we need here?

• The sentence is talking about 'The species' returning to breeding grounds
  • Whose breeding grounds? The species' own breeding grounds
  • So we need a possessive form, not a contraction

• What about singular vs. plural?
  • The subject is 'The species' - notice the verbs: 'feeds,' 'returns,' 'has been classified'
  • All of these are singular verbs
  • Even though 'species' ends in 's', it's being treated as a single entity here
  • So we need a singular possessive pronoun

So we need its - the singular possessive pronoun that shows the breeding grounds belong to the species.

Now let's read the rest to see the complete picture:

• The sentence continues: 'has been classified as vulnerable due to declining populations'
• This tells us the conservation status of this species - it's vulnerable because populations are declining

Grammar Concept Applied

Matching Pronouns to What They Refer To

When you use a pronoun, it needs to match what it's referring back to (called the antecedent in grammar terms). Two key things must match:

1. Number (Singular vs. Plural):

• If the antecedent is singular → use singular pronouns (it, its)
• If the antecedent is plural → use plural pronouns (they, their)

Example from this question:

• Antecedent: "The species" (singular - shown by verbs like "feeds" and "returns")
• Pronoun needed: "its" (singular possessive)

2. Possessive vs. Contraction:

When you need to show ownership/belonging, use the possessive form:

• Its (possessive) = belonging to it
  • "The dog wagged its tail"
• Their (possessive) = belonging to them
  • "The students returned to their classroom"

Don't confuse these with contractions:

• It's = it is or it has
  • "It's raining" = "It is raining"
• They're = they are
  • "They're leaving" = "They are leaving"

In our question:

• We need to show ownership (the breeding grounds belong to the species)
• The antecedent "The species" is singular
• Therefore: its (singular possessive) is correct