甄别使用定语从句中的关系词

刘敏 朱勇

摘要：对于英语初学者来说，在学习到关系分句时往往会碰到一些很模糊的概念，尤其是如何恰当地使用关系词连接句子。本文即从如何甄别使用关系词入手，帮助初学者从句法功能入手明确定语从句中关系词的选用。

关键词：定语从句；关系词；选用

在定语从句中，关系代词有that, which, who, whom, whose和as，关系副词有when, where和why。如何才能恰当地使用好这些关系词？以下便从它们在使用过程中的一些难点入手，以便能更好地解释它们在不同情况下的用法：

一、当关系代词在SVC结构中作主语补足语或在there be（存在句）结构中作“实义主语”时，通常用that指人或指物，而且通常可以省略。如：

Dr Fordham still talks like the man (that) he was ten years ago.

The 9:15 is the fastest train (that) there has ever been.

二、在限制性定语从句中，为了明确所指的对象，有时必须用who（m）指人，用which指物，但如果先行词是个既指人又指物的并列名词词组，则最好选用that来引导关系分句。如：

There were some students at the party who(m) I must shun.

He talked brilliantly of the man and the books that interested him.

三、先行词为all, anything, nothing或被all, any, only等词修饰时，关系代词多用that, 特别是关系代词在定语从句中作主语时。关系代词在从句中作宾语时用that或省略，而用that作关系代词多表示对先行词的强调。如：

All that glitters is not gold.

Is this the only place that can be used to hold the meeting?

四、当先行词指人并带有only, all, any等限定词或最高级形容词所修饰的先行词是人时，那么关系代词既可用that也可用who。如：

Bach was the greatest composer thats ( or whos ) ever lived.

I was the only person in my office who ( or that ) was invited.

但如果先行词本身是指人的all或any, 关系代词就只能用who而不用that。如：

All who wish to go picnicking please wait at the school gate at 8:00 tomorrow morning.

如果被the only或all, any以及最高级形容词所修饰的先行词是物时，定语从句的关系代词一般多用that。如：

The only thing that can be done has been done.

All that remains for me is to say goodbye.

在上述几个例子中的that皆不宜换用which。

五、在非限制性定语从句中，which的先行词可以是上文的整个分句，同时，which还能指前面句子的一部分。如：

He tried to stand on his hands for five minutes, which — as you know — is rather a difficult thing to do.

I have known men far more able than Bowles, but not half so interesting, which is quite a different thing.

在此类句型中，as也可作为关系代词来引导非限制性定语从句，但它们在使用过程中是有区别的，它们的区别有以下几个方面：

（一） as引导的非限制性定语从句与主句之间有着较为密切的上下文关系，as本身有“正如……那样”的含义，而which引导的非限制性定语从句与主句之间在逻辑意义上近似于并列关系，which本身表示“这”或“这一点”之意。除此而外，as引导的非限制性定语从句习惯上常与表示感知的动词或形容词连用，而which引导的非限制性定语从句则无此惯例。如：

The elephant is like a snake, as everybody can see. 如同任何人都可以看得出来那样，这头象像条蛇。

The elephant is like a snake, which everybody can see. 任何人都可以看得出来，这头象像条蛇。

（二） as引导的非限制性定语从句的位置比较灵活，它可以在主句之前，也可以放在主句之后，还可以插在主句的中间，而which引导的非限制性定语从句只能跟在主句之后。 如：

The earth turns around the sun, as is known to us all.

The earth turns around the sun, which our parents once told us when we were very young.

（三） which除了指代主句整个概念之外，还可以指代单个先行词，而as只能指代主句整个概念，不能指代单个先行词。如：

He lives in Zhongshan Road, which is only twenty-minute walk from here.

（四） 如果从句里的内容对主句起消极作用，则只能用which引导，而不可用as。如：

The young man cheated his friend of much money, which was disgraceful.

She married again, which was unexpected.

（五） as在引导限制性定语从句时要和the same或such连用，而此种情况下却不能用which。如：

Ill buy the same dictionary as you have.

This is not such a book as I expected.

以上两个例子中的as都不可改用which。

六、在“介词+关系代词”引导的限制性定语从句中，关系代词主要是which（指物）和whom（指人），有时也可能是关系限定词whose, 而且在此类句子中介词和关系代词都不能省略。如：

The earth on which we live is a big round ball.

The driver was the man from whose room she had stolen the maps.

此外，还有几点要向学习者们介绍，在“介词+关系代词”结构中，有以下几个原则是值得大家注意的：

（一） 该介词是定语从句中短语动词的固定搭配。如：

The worker for whom you are waiting has gone to factory.

要注意的是，有些短语动词中的介词是不能和动词分开的。如：

The patient whom the nurse takes care of is his brother.

此句中的介词of 就不能和动词take care分开，不能说成：

The patient of whom the nurse takes care is his brother.

另外，在口语中一般把介词放在从句末尾，特别是属于同一个意群的短语动词和形容词更不宜分开，此时可用that作宾语，而且that常可以省略。如：

Have you met the person ( that ) he was referring to?

（二） 该介词是先行词的某种习惯搭配或要表达的某个意思。如：

Ill never forget the day on which I joined the party.( on which = when)

（三） 该介词要根据句子所表达的意思选用。如：

This is the train in which my uncle works.( in which = where )

除了以上介绍的几点需注意外，“介词+关系代词”结构还有三种常见形式：

（四） 介词of表示“整体中的一部分”或“所有关系”，这种非限制性定语从句的结构通常为“名词（或代词）+ of + 关系代词which（或whom）”，此时的介词不能放在从句末尾，在此结构中可用关系代词whose代替。如：

They had a son and two daughters, all of whom taught at the same school.

In the garden there are a lot of flowers, the colors of which ( =whose colors或of which the colors ) are bright and nice.

（五） 代词（数词或含有数词意义的名词或形容词的最高级）+ of which（指物）或+ of whom（指人）+ 谓语。如：

He has two children, both of whom are doctors.

There are many rivers in China, the longest of which is the Changjiang River.

（六） 有时“介词+关系代词which（或whom）”引导的定语从句可以简化成一个不定式短语。如：

The farmer uses wood to build a house in which he stores grains.

= The farmer uses wood to build a house to store grains.

另外，“介词+关系代词which”在一定情况下可以代替关系副词when或where，这时介词的选用应根据先行词的正确搭配而定。如：

I still remember the night on which she left the house alone. （此句中的on which可用when替换）

This is the theatre in which well visit a well-known pianist. （此句中的in which可用where替换）

除了以上介绍的“介词+关系代词”的几种常见形式外，与关系代词搭配的介词还可以是复杂介词。如：

I will now introduce the candidate in support of whom I wish to speak.

总而言之，在定语从句中，如何才能使用好关系词是需要不断地从实际问题中去探索的，本文只是针对目前出现的一些常见的问题入手，希望能让对此部分问题仍有疑问的学习者有所借鉴。

参考文献

[1] Jimscrivener，A Guidebook for English Language Teachers [M]，Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press，2002．

[2] Li Ke，Content Schamata and Reading Comprehension [J]，Journal of English LanguageEducation Association.June2004，VOL．27，No. 3，Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press，2004．

[3] Nunan，TheLearner-centered Curviculum [M],A Study in Second Language Teaching，Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.

[4] 章振邦，《新编英语语法教程》[M]，上海外语教育出版社，2000；

[5] 李洪涛，《中学生英语语法大全》[M]，中国致公出版社，2003。

作者简介：

刘敏（1976－ ），女，汉族，重庆市巴南区人，大学本科学历，讲师，主要从事英语课教学和研究工作。

朱勇（1981－ ），男，汉族，云南省曲靖市，大学本科学历，助教，主要从事英语课教学和研究工作。