董晨
定語從句是用來修飾主句中某一名詞或代詞的從句。它一般都跟在所修飾的名詞或代詞的后面,被定語從句修飾的名詞或代詞稱為先行詞,引導(dǎo)定語從句的詞叫關(guān)系詞。
關(guān)系詞的選擇取決于先行詞在從句中所作的成分,若先行詞在從句中作主語、賓語或定語,則選擇關(guān)系代詞;若先行詞在從句中作狀語,則選擇關(guān)系副詞。
一、關(guān)系代詞的選擇
1. Tom is a boy who (that) studies hard.
指人,作主語
2. Jane is a girl whom (that) you can trust.
指人,作trust的賓語
3. Bob is the boy whose father is a pilot.
指人,作定語
4. A plane is a machine which (that) can fly.
指物,作主語
5. Is this the book which (that) you bought yesterday?
指物,作賓語
6. My uncle bought a house, whose roof (=the roof of which) was green. 指物,作定語
注意:
1. 若先行詞在從句中作賓語時(shí),關(guān)系代詞可以省略。如例2和例5兩句中的關(guān)系代詞都可以省略。
2. 一般說來,無論先行詞是指人還是指物,也不論代表先行詞的關(guān)系代詞在從句中作主語還是作賓語,都可以用that,但需注意的是,that還有“六用,三不用”原則。
六用
(1)當(dāng)先行詞是指事物的anything, everything, nothing, none, all, few, little, much等不定代詞,或先行詞被any, every, no, all, few, little, much修飾的事物名詞時(shí),多用that。如:
I cannot learn anything that does not interest me.
Ive read all the books that were borrowed from the library.
(2)當(dāng)先行詞被the only, the very, the same, the right/just, one of等修飾時(shí),多用that。如:
This is the very book that I am looking for.
This is the only watch that I have.
(3)當(dāng)先行詞既有人又有物時(shí),宜用that。如:
They talked about the persons and the things that they remembered in the school.
(4)當(dāng)先行詞為序數(shù)詞或先行詞被序數(shù)詞修飾時(shí),多用that。如:
It was the first skyscraper that was designed by our own engineers.
(5)當(dāng)先行詞為形容詞最高級(jí)或先行詞被形容詞最高級(jí)修飾時(shí),多用that。如:
Shakespeare is the greatest English writer that ever lived.
(6)當(dāng)主句是以who 或which 開頭的特殊疑問句時(shí),為避免重復(fù),多用that。如:
Who is the lady that is talking to our teacher?
Which is the house that caught fire last night?
注意:一個(gè)句子中含有兩個(gè)定語從句,一個(gè)關(guān)系代詞用that,另一個(gè)用which。如:
Let me show you the book that I borrowed from the library which was newly open to us.
三不用
(1)先行詞是指人的one, anyone, everyone, those, people, he等,或指人的先行詞位于there be之后時(shí),用who 或whom,不用that。如:
He who laughs last laughs best.
God helps those who help themselves.
One who has travelled far and wide will probably have a broad outlook.
We should forgive people who hurt us.
Is there anybody else who should be invited?
(2)直接位于介詞之后, 用which或whom,不能用that。如:
Here is the car about which I told you.
Who is the man with whom you just shook hands?
(3)在非限制性定語從句中,用who, whom, which,不能用that。如:
I have lost my pen, which I like very much.
二、關(guān)系副詞的選擇
1. 當(dāng)先行詞是表示時(shí)間的名詞,且在定語從句中作時(shí)間狀語時(shí),用when。如:
October 1st,1949 was the day when the Peoples Republic of China was founded.
注意:有時(shí)雖然先行詞是表示時(shí)間的名詞,但如果定語從句中缺少的是主語或賓語,此時(shí)應(yīng)使用關(guān)系代詞。請(qǐng)比較:
I will never forget the days when I worked in the city.
先行詞 作時(shí)間狀語
I will never forget the days (that /which) I spent in the city.
先行詞 作賓語
2. 當(dāng)先行詞是表示地點(diǎn)的名詞,且在定語從句中作地點(diǎn)狀語時(shí),用where。如:
Everyone wants to visit the place where Lu Xun once lived.
注意:where 和when 一樣,在定語從句中只能充當(dāng)狀語;否則,必須用關(guān)系代詞。請(qǐng)比較:
This is the factory where my father worked last year.
先行詞 作地點(diǎn)狀語
This is the factory (that /which) my father visited last year.
先行詞 作賓語
3. 當(dāng)先行詞為reason,且在定語從句中作原因狀語時(shí),用why。如:
The reason why she told a lie is unknown.
注意:當(dāng)在句中不是作狀語,而是作主語或賓語時(shí),用that。請(qǐng)比較:
The reason why he was late for class is that he got up late.
先行詞 作原因狀語
The reason that/which he gave us was hard to accept.
先行詞 作賓語
即學(xué)即練:
1. This is the school __________we visited yesterday.
2. This is the school ____________ my father works.
3. The boy ______ parents are dead was brought up by his grandfather.
4. Can you see the house of______ the window face the south?
5. This is the very thing _______ I am looking for.
6. Who is the man _______ spoke to you at the gate?
7. I believe the reason ___________he likes traveling.
8. I believe the reason ___________he gave me for his decision.
9. The way _______ he explained to us was very simple.
10. The way _______ he explained the sentence to us was very simple.
參考答案:1. that / which 2. where / in which 3. whose 4. which 5. that 6. that 7. why / for which 8. that / which 9. that / which 10. that /in which