Final answer:
When replicating, a negative (-) single-stranded RNA virus uses RdRP to synthesize a complementary RNA strand, creating a replicative intermediate of double-stranded RNA.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the replication of a single-stranded RNA virus, if the virus has a negative (-) single-strand RNA (-ssRNA) genome, it cannot be directly translated by the host's ribosomes. Instead, the virus uses an enzyme called viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) to replicate its genome. The RdRP synthesizes a complementary strand of RNA, which forms a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) intermediate. This replicative form can then be used as a template to synthesize additional copies of the viral genome (in the case of negative-strand RNA viruses) or it can also serve to create viral mRNA.
The correct answer to the student's question is that during replication, the genome of a negative (-) single-stranded RNA virus is used to generate double-stranded RNA as an intermediate which can then be used to form new viral genomes or viral mRNA.