Unit 5 : Grammar 1: Relative Pronouns (who, which, that, where, whose) : cours 1 Bac SM

1Course Learning Objectives

This section outlines the specific, measurable goals that 1st-year Baccalaureate students in the Experimental Sciences stream are expected to achieve by the end of this grammar lesson on relative pronouns.

Learning Objectives Overview

Objective 1

Identify the five relative pronouns — who, which, that, where, whose — and recognize them within sentences.

Objective 2

Understand the dual function of relative pronouns: they act simultaneously as a pronoun (replacing a noun) and as a conjunction (linking two clauses).

Objective 3

Differentiate the correct usage of each relative pronoun based on the type of antecedent : a person, a thing/animal, a place, or a possession.

Objective 4

Combine two simple sentences into one complex sentence by selecting and applying the appropriate relative pronoun.

Objective 5

Recognize and correct common errors: confusing who with which, misusing whose vs. who's, and incorrectly using that in non-defining relative clauses.

Objective 6

Produce grammatically correct relative clauses in both written and spoken English, at the level expected by the 1st-year Baccalaureate programme.

$Objective$	$Skill Type$	$Relative Pronoun(s) Involved$
$Identify the five relative pronouns$	$Knowledge$	$who, which, that, where, whose$
$Understand dual function (pronoun + conjunction)$	$Comprehension$	$All five$
$Differentiate usage by antecedent type$	$Comprehension / Analysis$	$who (person), which (thing), where (place), whose (possession)$
$Combine sentences into complex sentences$	$Application$	$who, which, that, where, whose$
$Recognize and correct common errors$	$Analysis / Correction$	$who vs. which, whose vs. who's, that in non-defining clauses$
$Produce correct relative clauses$	$Production / Expression$	$All five$

Summary table of course learning objectives aligned with grammar skill levels for 1st-year Baccalaureate students.

By the end of this lesson, students are expected to move progressively from passive recognition (identifying relative pronouns in a text) to active production (writing and speaking grammatically correct complex sentences). Each objective builds upon the previous one, following the logic of the official 1st-year Baccalaureate English programme.

Before studying relative pronouns, students should already master a set of foundational grammar concepts that make the new material accessible and logical.

Sentence Structure

A basic English sentence is made of three core parts: a Subject (who or what the sentence is about), a Verb (the action or state), and a Complement (the object or information that completes the meaning). Example: 'Karim (Subject) reads (Verb) a book (Complement).'

Noun

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or animal. In grammar, the word that a relative pronoun refers back to is always a noun — this noun is called the antecedent .

Clause

A clause is a group of words that contains at least one subject and one verb . Example: 'who lives next door' is a clause because it has a subject ('who') and a verb ('lives').

Categories of Nouns (Antecedent Types)

People

'The teacher', 'Fatima', 'the students' — human beings.

Places

'the school', 'the city', 'the market' — locations.

Things

'the book', 'the car', 'an idea' — objects or concepts.

Animals

'the dog', 'the bird' — living creatures that are not human.

Understanding these four categories is essential because, when learning relative pronouns, the type of antecedent (person, place, thing, or animal) determines which relative pronoun you must use. For example, 'who' is used for people, while 'which' is used for things and animals. Mastering noun categories now makes that distinction automatic.

Possessive Adjectives (Bridge to 'Whose')

Possessive adjectives show belonging or ownership . They always come before a noun: my book, your friend, his car, her bag, its colour, our school, their teacher.

The relative pronoun'whose' works exactly like a possessive adjective inside a relative clause — it replaces one of these adjectives and links ownership back to the antecedent. Example: 'The student whose book was lost came to the office.' \to 'whose' replaces 'his/her' and tells us the book belongs to the student.

$Possessive Adjective$	$Person / Thing$	$Equivalent in a Relative Clause$
$my / your / his / her$	$Person$	$whose (for people)$
$its / their$	$Animal or Thing$	$whose (accepted) or of which (formal)$

How possessive adjectives map onto the relative pronoun 'whose'.

Subject vs. Object Pronouns

Subject pronouns

I, you, he, she, it, we, they — used when the pronoun performs the action. Example: He reads every day.

Object pronouns

me, you, him, her, it, us, them — used when the pronoun receives the action. Example: The teacher called him .

Connection to relative pronouns

Relative pronouns (who, which, that, where, whose) act as a replacement for a noun inside a relative clause, playing either a subject or object role. Knowing this distinction helps you understand why and where a relative pronoun is placed within the clause.

Quick Self Check Before Proceeding

Can you identify the subject and verb in a sentence? \to If yes, you can recognize a clause.

Do you know the difference between a noun naming a person and one naming a place or thing? \to If yes, you can choose the right relative pronoun.

Do you know the possessive adjectives (my, his, her\dots)? \to If yes, the relative pronoun 'whose' will make sense immediately.

Can you tell subject pronouns (he, she) from object pronouns (him, her)? \to If yes, you understand how relative pronouns function inside a clause.

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