English – Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-Defining – BAC Literary Stream

Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-Defining

Relative clauses are used to give additional information about a noun without starting a new sentence. They are essential for writing complex sentences in the BAC exam.

Defining Relative Clauses:

Provide essential information needed to identify the person or thing. No commas used. Exemple: “The student who studies regularly will succeed.”

• Who/that: for people (subject). Ex: “The teacher who helped me is kind.”
• Which/that: for things (subject/object). Ex: “The book which I read is interesting.”
• Whom: for people (object, formal). Ex: “The man whom you met is my uncle.”
• Whose: for possession. Ex: “The student whose father is a doctor is clever.”
• Where/When/Why: for place/time/reason. Ex: “The school where I studied is old.”

Non-Defining Relative Clauses:

Provide extra, non-essential information. Uses commas. Exemple: “My brother, who lives in Algiers, is an engineer.”

Key difference: In defining clauses, “that” can replace who/which. In non-defining clauses, “that” cannot be used.

BAC Example 2021:

“Algeria, which gained independence in 1962, has a rich cultural heritage.” – Non-defining relative clause giving extra information about Algeria.

BAC Example 2023:

“The candidates whose applications were complete were invited for an interview.” – Defining relative clause with “whose”.

Similar Lessons

• The Passive Voice in Different Tenses
• Expressing Certainty and Uncertainty

📍 دروس مشابهة

• English — Giving Directions: Vocabulary and Dialogues — 2nd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum
• English – Quantifiers: Some, Any, Much, Many, A lot of – 1st Year – Literary Stream
• English — Past Tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect — 1st Year Secondary