定语从句的用法

王正秀

一、定语从句的概念

在复合句中,修饰某一名词或代词的从句叫定语从句。被修饰的名词或代词叫先行词,定语从句一般放在先行词的后面。

二、定语从句的关系词

引导定语从句的关系词有关系代词和关系副词,常见的关系代词包括that,which,who(宾格whom,所有格whose)等,关系副词包括where,when,why等。关系代词和关系副词放在先行词及定语从句之间起连接作用,同时又作定语从句的重要成分。

三、定语从句的分类

根据定语从句与先行词的关系,定语从句可分为限制性定语从句及非限制性定语从句。限制性定语从句紧跟先行词,主句与从句不用逗号分开,从句不可省去,非限制性定语从句主句与从句之间有逗号分开,起补充说明作用,如省去,意思仍完整。

四、关系代词的用法

1.that既可以用于指人,也可以用于指物。在从句中作主语或宾语,作主语时不可省略,作宾语可省略。例如:

The people who/that sold the computer to you should repair it.卖给你电脑的人应该修理它。(that作主语)

The coat (that/which) I put on the desk is blue.我放在桌子上的那件外套是蓝色的。(that作宾语)

2.which用于指物,在句中作主语或宾语,作主语不可省略,作宾语可省略。例如:

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb which brings light to nearly every home in the world.爱因斯坦发明的电灯泡把灯光带进了世界上几乎每个家庭。(作主语)

The subjects which Einstein studied were maths and physics.爱因斯坦所学的科目是数学和物理。(作宾语)

需注意的地方:

(1)当定语从句中含有介词,介词放在句末时,who,that,which可省略,但介词在关系代词前时,只能用“介词+which/whom”结构。例如:

This is the house in which we lived last year.这是我们去年居住的房子。

Please tell me from whom you borrowed the English novel.请告诉我你从谁那借的这本英文小说。

(2)含有介词的固定动词词组中,介词不可前置,只能放在原来的位置上。例如:

This is the person whom I am worrying about.这就我所担心的那个人。

(3)that作介词的宾语时,介词不能放它的前面,只能放在从句中动词的后面。例如:

The city that she lives in is very far away.她居住的城市非常远。

(4)关系词只能用that的情况。

a.先行词被序数词或形容词最高级所修饰,或本身是序数词、基数词、形容词最高级时,只能用that,而不用which。例如:

The first film that Bruce acted in was made in 1946.布鲁斯第一部参与拍摄的电影是在1946年。

It is the most important task that should be finished soon.很快要完成的是最重要的任务。

b.被修饰的先行词为all,any,much,many,everything,anything,none,the one,something,nothing等不定代词时,只能用that,而不用which。例如:

He told me everything that he had done.他告诉我他所做的一切事情。

All that he wants is a room and some food.所有他所想要的是一间房和一些食物。

c.先行词被the only,the very,the same,the last,little,few等词修饰时,只能用that,而不用which。例如:

Game of Death was the last film that Bruce acted in.布鲁斯拍摄的最后一部电影是《死亡游戏》。

The only thing that you can do is to help me.你能做的唯一的事是帮助我。

d.以who或which引导的特殊疑问句,为避免重复,只能用that。例如:

Who is the man that is standing near the door?站在门附近的那个男人是谁?

(5)关系词只能用which,而不用that的情况。

a.先行词为that,those时,用which,而不用that。例如:

Whats that which is under the desk?在桌子底下的那些东西是什么?

b.关系代词前有介词时,一般用which,而不用that。例如:

This is the room in which Luxunlived.这是鲁迅居住的房间。

五、关系副词的用法

(1)when指时间,其先行词表示时间,在句中作时间状语。例如:

This was the time when he arrived.这是他到达的时间。

(2)where指地点,其先行词表示地点,在句中作地点状语。例如:

After living in Paris for fifty years,he returned to the small town where he grew up as a child。在巴黎居住了五十年之后,他返回到了他孩子时成长的那个小镇。

(3)why指原因,其先行词是原因,起原因状语作用。例如:

Nobody knows the reason why he is often late for school.没人知道他为什么上学总迟到。