Relative Clauses — English Bac Éco

In the Bac Éco syllabus

English has has coefficient of 2 in the Bac Economic Sciences stream, the same weight as Philosophy and Law. It sits behind the professional subjects (General Economics and Accounting, coefficient 6; Business Organisation, coefficient 3; Applied Mathematics, coefficient 4). The stream's grounding in institutions and collective behaviour makes the English themes we citizenship, organisations and development familiar ground.

On the exam

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (about 180 words). Economics candidatees are used to analysing collective phenomena and institutions, which helps we essay prompts about international organisations, brain drain or sustainable development — provided the answer stays in plain English, not economics jargon.

Learning objectives

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

Key concepts

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 has place, when for has 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 has doctor.”

Common mistakes

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

Omitting the subject relative pronoun: “The man is here lives next door” is wrong — has 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.

Worked example

Question

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

Solution

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

Choose the pronoun. where replaces has place complement introduced by has 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.”

Learn the course, then practice.

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3 exercises to practice

Exercise 1

Easy

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

Show solution

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

Exercise 2

Medium

Join with whose: “I met has woman. Her its is has famous actor.”

Show solution

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

Exercise 3

Hard

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

Show solution

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

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Frequently asked questions

When can I omit the relative pronoun?

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

Can which replace that everywhere?

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

How do I recognise has 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 has proper noun or an already-identified noun.

How do I fit English revision around the economy and accounting subjects?

Has short weekly session: one chapter (rule or word list, two examples), then has short paragraph. Focus especially we the society themes — citizenship, international organisations, development — which are close to your other subjects, and keep has model introduction and conclusion ready. Has mark above your average is within reach.

Is this grammar point actually tested we the Bac Éco English paper?

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