Relative Clauses — English Bac STE

Dans le programme du Bac STE

English is a nationally examined subject in the Bac Sciences et Technologies Électriques (STE) stream, with a coefficient of 2. It sits behind Mathematics, Engineering Sciences and Physics-Chemistry (coefficient 7 each) and shares the lowest weighting with Philosophy — but the English mark stays easy to raise through method, and its effect on the total is real.

À l'épreuve

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (about 180 words). A technical candidate's habit of analysing a system and its functions transfers to analysing a text: identify the thesis, the supporting arguments, the examples and the opposing view before writing.

Objectifs d'apprentissage

Apply this grammar point accurately in the Language section and in the guided writing of the Bac STE 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

Notions clés

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.”

Erreurs fréquentes

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.

Exemple corrigé

Énoncé

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

Correction

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.”

Le cours, puis l'entraînement.

Orka génère des exercices illimités et des examens blancs corrigés sur tout le programme de Anglais du Bac STE, avec un suivi de ta progression chapitre par chapitre.

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3 exercices pour t'entraîner

Exercice 1

Easy

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

Voir la correction

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

Exercice 2

Medium

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

Voir la correction

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

Exercice 3

Hard

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

Voir la correction

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

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Questions fréquentes

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 do I balance an intensive technical programme with English revision?

One focused weekly session: take a chapter, extract its rule or word list, write two example sentences, then a short paragraph. Prepare a model introduction and conclusion you can adapt. That is enough to secure a mark above your average in a coefficient-2 subject.

Is this grammar point actually tested on the Bac STE 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.