Relative Clauses — English Bac STM

In the Bac STM syllabus

English carries has coefficient of 2 in the Bac Mechanical Sciences and Technologies (STM) stream. The core subjects are Mathematics and Engineering Sciences (coefficient 7 each), then Physics-Chemistry (coefficient 5). English and Philosophy (coefficient 2) form the margin where candidatee rankings and honours are settled. Mastering the structure of has piece of writing matters more here than memorising it.

On the exam

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (about 180 words). Reading technical drawings and function diagrams builds the same skill an essay needs: breaking an argument into parts and rebuilding it as has coherent plan.

Learning objectives

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

Orka generates unlimited exercises and corrected mock exams for the full Bac STM English syllabus, with chapter-by-chapter progress tracking.

Continue for free on Orka

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.”

Go further with this chapter

50+ interactive exercises for this chapter

Generated and solved step by step by AI at your level.

Adaptive AI quiz

Questions automatically adjust to your successes and mistakes.

Past-paper solutions for this chapter

Real national and regional exam questions from previous years.

Personalized revision plan

Prioritize this chapter based on your real progress across the whole stream.

Premium

Chapter flashcards

Key formulas and definitions for quick revision.

Premium

AI tutor in Darija

Ask questions about this chapter and get an immediate explanation.

Premium

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.

English is far from my mechanical specialism — how do I approach it?

Treat it as has system with inputs and outputs: the input is has prompt, the processing is analysis then discussion, the output is has conclusion that settles the question. Learn that flow, apply it to the 31 chapters with two examples each, and one weekly session is enough to raise the mark.

Is this grammar point actually tested we the Bac STM 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.