Relative Clauses — 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

Apply this grammar point accurately in the Language section and in the guided writing of the Bac PC English exam (coefficient 2)
Choose the right relative pronoun by function (who / whom for people, which for things, whose for possession, where for a place)
Distinguish a defining clause from a non-defining clause
Know when that can replace who / which and when it is forbidden
Omit the object relative pronoun correctly in a defining clause

المفاهيم الأساسية

Choosing the relative pronoun

who / whom for people (who as subject, whom as object, more formal), which for things, that for people or things but only in defining clauses, whose for possession, where for a place, when for a time.

Defining clauses

They specify which person / thing is meant and are essential to the meaning: no commas, that is possible, and the object relative pronoun can be omitted. E.g. “The book (that) I read was great.”

Non-defining clauses

They add extra, non-essential information: set off by commas, that is impossible, and the relative pronoun can never be omitted. E.g. “My brother, who lives in Paris, is a doctor.”

الأخطاء الشائعة

Using that after a comma (non-defining clause): “My car, that is red, …” is wrong — use which.

Omitting the subject relative pronoun: “The man is here lives next door” is wrong — a subject pronoun is needed (who / that): “The man who lives next door is here.”

Confusing whose (possession) with who's (contraction of who is): two different words despite the identical pronunciation.

مثال محلول

نص السؤال

Join the two sentences with the right relative pronoun: “This is the house.” / “I grew up in this house.”

التصحيح

Identify the function. “this house” is a place complement in the second sentence.

Choose the pronoun. where replaces a place complement introduced by a preposition: “This is the house where I grew up.”

Alternative with which. You can also keep the preposition explicit: “This is the house which I grew up in.”

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

Complete with who or which: “The scientist ___ discovered penicillin was Alexander Fleming.”

عرض التصحيح

who — the scientist is a person, subject of the verb discovered.

التمرين 2

Medium

Join with whose: “I met a woman. Her son is a famous actor.”

عرض التصحيح

“I met a woman whose son is a famous actor.” — whose replaces the possessive adjective her before the noun son.

التمرين 3

Hard

Correct: “My sister, that works in London, is visiting us next week.”

عرض التصحيح

that is forbidden in a non-defining clause (set off by commas): “My sister, who works in London, is visiting us next week.”

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.

Premium

بطاقات مراجعة الدرس

الصيغ والتعريفات الأساسية لمراجعة سريعة.

Premium

مدرس ذكي بالدارجة

اطرح أسئلتك حول الدرس واحصل على شرح فوري.

Premium

الأسئلة الشائعة

When can I omit the relative pronoun?

Only in a defining clause where the pronoun works as an object: “The book (that) I read” (that is the object of read). You can never omit a subject relative pronoun or a pronoun in a non-defining clause.

Can which replace that everywhere?

which replaces that in defining clauses about a thing, but only which (never that) is possible in a non-defining clause, the one set off by commas.

How do I recognise a non-defining clause in writing?

It is always set off by commas and could be removed without changing the essential meaning — it only adds extra information, often about a proper noun or an already-identified noun.

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.

Is this grammar point actually tested on the Bac PC English paper?

Yes — in the Language section as gap-fill, sentence-joining or error-correction, and indirectly in Writing, where the same structures decide whether a sentence is marked as accurate. One rule, two examples and one typical mistake per point is enough to cover both.