Express Lack of Understanding — English Bac PC

ضمن برنامج بكالوريا PC

English is a nationally examined subject in the Bac Sciences Physiques (PC) stream, with a coefficient of 2 — the lowest weighting in the stream, level with Philosophy and well behind Mathematics and Physics-Chemistry (coefficient 7). The paper still tests reading comprehension, language and guided writing, and because differences between candidates are narrow, a few extra marks in English move the overall average as much as a mark in a science subject.

في الامتحان

The national English paper has three parts: Reading Comprehension (a text plus questions), Language (grammar and vocabulary in context), and Writing (a guided paragraph or short essay of about 180 words). PC candidates should protect a fixed slot for the Language section, where accuracy earns quick, reliable marks even when revision time goes mostly to the sciences.

أهداف التعلم

Produce this function at the right register in a dialogue-completion task on the Bac PC English paper (coefficient 2)
Use polite phrases to signal you do not understand (I'm sorry, I don't follow / I'm not quite sure I understand)
Ask for a repetition or a clarification (Could you repeat that, please? / What do you mean by…?)
Ask for a simpler rephrasing (Could you put it differently? / In other words…?)
Match the register to the situation (formal with a teacher, informal with friends)

المفاهيم الأساسية

Signalling that you do not understand

I'm sorry, I don't (quite) follow / I don't (quite) understand / I'm lost / I'm not sure I get what you mean. The register varies: “I'm lost” is informal, “I'm afraid I don't quite follow” is more formal.

Asking for a repetition or clarification

Could you repeat that, please? / Could you say that again? / What do you mean by…? / Could you explain what you mean by…?

Asking for a rephrasing

Could you put it differently? / Could you rephrase that? / In other words…? (also used to check your own understanding by restating what you heard).

الأخطاء الشائعة

Using only “What?” in a formal written dialogue: it is too casual for most tested contexts (student–teacher, an interview).

Confusing repeat (say the same thing again) and rephrase (say the same thing in other, simpler words) — the exam often distinguishes the two.

Dropping the politeness marker (I'm sorry, I'm afraid) in a formal register before signalling a lack of understanding.

مثال محلول

نص السؤال

Complete the dialogue in a way suited to the formal register: Teacher: “The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” Student: “___ Could you explain that in simpler terms?”

التصحيح

Identify the register. A student–teacher dialogue calls for a polite, formal register.

Choose a suitable phrase. An apology followed by a signal of not understanding fits: “I'm sorry, I don't quite understand.”

Assemble the full turn. “I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Could you explain that in simpler terms?”

افهم الدرس، ثم تدرب.

ينشئ Orka تمارين غير محدودة وامتحانات تجريبية مصححة تغطي برنامج اللغة الإنجليزية في بكالوريا PC، مع تتبع تقدمك درساً بعد درس.

تابع مجاناً مع Orka

3 تمارين للتدرب

التمرين 1

Easy

Choose the most polite way to ask for a repetition: (What? / Could you repeat that, please? / Huh?)

عرض التصحيح

Could you repeat that, please? — the only polite phrase suited to formal writing.

التمرين 2

Medium

Distinguish: “Could you repeat that?” and “Could you put it differently?” — what is the difference in meaning?

عرض التصحيح

“Could you repeat that?” asks for exactly the same words again (you did not hear or catch it). “Could you put it differently?” asks for a rephrasing in other, often simpler words (you heard but did not follow the meaning).

التمرين 3

Hard

Write a full, polite turn in which a student asks their teacher to rephrase an overly technical physics explanation.

عرض التصحيح

“I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't quite follow. Could you put it in simpler terms, please?” — it combines a polite apology, a clear signal of not understanding, and a request for rephrasing (not just a repetition, since the problem is complexity, not volume).

تعمق أكثر في هذا الدرس

أكثر من 50 تمريناً تفاعلياً في هذا الدرس

تمارين يولدها الذكاء الاصطناعي ويصححها خطوة بخطوة حسب مستواك.

تسجيل الدخول مطلوب

اختبار ذكي متكيف

أسئلة تتكيف تلقائياً مع إجاباتك الصحيحة وأخطائك.

تسجيل الدخول مطلوب

تصحيح امتحانات سابقة مرتبطة بالدرس

مواضيع من الامتحانات الوطنية والجهوية السابقة.

تسجيل الدخول مطلوب

خطة مراجعة شخصية

ترتب أولوية هذا الدرس حسب تقدمك الحقيقي في الشعبة.

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بطاقات مراجعة الدرس

الصيغ والتعريفات الأساسية لمراجعة سريعة.

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مدرس ذكي بالدارجة

اطرح أسئلتك حول الدرس واحصل على شرح فوري.

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الأسئلة الشائعة

Is this chapter really useful, when the Bac is a written exam?

These phrases are mainly for the written dialogue-completion tasks, but they also stay useful in real life (lessons, oral exams in other subjects, talking with English speakers) — one of the few chapters that transfers directly beyond the exam.

Which phrase is safest for all registers?

“I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. Could you explain that again?” works in almost every tested context, formal and semi-formal — polite without being over-formal.

Can I use “Pardon?” as in French?

Yes, but “Pardon?” (or “Sorry?”) in English is used on its own to signal you did not hear, a more informal register — for a fuller dialogue in the exam, a complete phrase (I'm sorry, could you repeat that?) is better.

How should a PC candidate revise English at coefficient 2?

Efficiently, not heavily. Keep one clear rule and two example sentences per grammar point, one word list per theme, and a reusable essay skeleton (introduction, two body paragraphs, balanced conclusion). Thirty focused minutes a week is enough to lift the English mark, and that mark counts in the average exactly like a mark in a science subject.

Why learn a spoken function for a written Bac PC exam?

Because it is tested in writing: dialogue-completion tasks ask for exactly these phrases at the right level of politeness. Keeping two or three set expressions per function, sorted by register, covers the task reliably.