定语从句:想说爱你不容易
2017-06-05徐香
⊙ 徐香
江苏省镇江市丹徒高级中学高级教师
定语从句:想说爱你不容易
⊙ 徐香
江苏省镇江市丹徒高级中学高级教师
定语从句(attributive clause)是高中英语的重要语法点之一,也是高考中的常见考点。不过,由于高中阶段还出现了名词性从句、强调句等结构相近的句型,同学们很容易混淆这三种常用句型,不能准确识别定语从句,容易造成失分。要想从根本上解决这一问题,大家应该从定语从句的基本概念入手,学会解析句子结构,提高综合分析能力,这样才能准确识别定语从句。
从基础概念入手
定语从句是指在复合句中修饰名词或代词(即先行词)的从句。定语从句的引导词有关系代词(who、whom、whose、which、that和as)和关系副词(when、where和why)。从这个概念中,我们可以得出三个要点:
√ 先行词是主句中的某一名词或代词;
√ 定语从句中的关系词不仅连接主句与从句,而且在从句中充当句子成分;
√ 判断关系词的方法是先找出先行词,然后判断先行词在从句中的句子成分。
理解了定语从句的概念,我们来看看下面这几个句子。你能判断出哪一句才是定语从句吗?
(1) I’m sure that the exchange students will enjoy their stay in China.
(2) Do you know who the teacher is talking to?
(3) Mr. Smith is such a great player that millions of people love him.
(4) The book that I’d like to read during the holidays is Travel in China.
答案:(4)。例(1)和例(2)中缺少先行词,而在例(3)中,that所引导的是一个完整的句子,that在从句中不充当句子成分,而是用作“such...that”这个结构的结果状语从句引导词。再看看例(4)的句子结构——主句是The book is Travel in China,先行词为The book,定语从句为I’d like to read during the holidays,关系词that 代替The book,在定语从句中充当read 的宾语。
抓住先行词
只要学会根据基本概念分析句子结构的方法,即使遇到较复杂的句子(例如题目句子中加入插入语或修饰语,使得题干变长,干扰性变大),同学们也能从容应对。再来看看下面的例句:
例1:It wasan exciting momentfor these football fans this year ______ their team won the World Cup.
A. that B. while C. which D. when
解析:根据句意,我们找到主句It was an exciting moment、定语从句their team won the World Cup,以及先行词an exciting moment;通过分析先行词在定语从句中充当时间状语的作用,可知when这个关系词为正确答案。
例2:This isMr. Smith, ______ I think has something interesting to tell you.
A. who B. whom C. that D. which
解析:由于多了I think这个插入语,对同学们准确判断先行词Mr. Smith在定语从句中的句子成分产生了一定影响,大家很容易会将先行词看作是think的宾语而选择B,其实不然。在遇到这类句子时,我们要把插入部分拿掉,化繁为简,从而判断出先行词在从句中充当的是主语,选出正确的关系词who。
句子结构的重要性
有些时候,虽然我们会在不同的句子中看到完全一致的先行词,但是由于先行词在定语从句中所充当的句子成分并不一致,所以它们对应选择的关系词也不一样。因此,在学习定语从句时,学会分析句子结构非常重要,以下面几个句子为例:
■ I’ll never forgetthe dayswhen we worked together. (先行词the days在定语从句中充当时间状语)
■ I’ll never forgetthe daysthat/which we spent together. (先行词the days在定语从句中充当spent的宾语)
■The manwho/that came to our school is Mr. Wang. (先行词the man在定语从句中充当主语)
■The manwhose son came to our school is Mr. Wang. (先行词the man在定语从句中充当定语)
■The manthat/whom/who you are looking for is in the classroom. (先行词the man在定语从句中充当宾语)
■ Who isthe manthat works with us together? (先行词the man在定语从句中充当主语,由于主句为who引导的特殊疑问句,关系词只能用that)
学会综合分析
近几年来,高考针对定语从句和其他从句——如强调句、名词性从句和状语从句等的综合考查越来越多,这就要求同学们既要掌握各种句型的基础知识,又要具备较强的综合分析能力。最后,让我们一起来看看以下的例题:
例3:—Where did you get to know her?
—It was on the farm ______ we worked.
A. that B. there C. which D. where
解析:在这道题目中出现了一个类似强调句型(It is/was+被强调部分+that/ who/whom…)的结构,学生容易受到思维定势的影响而错选A 。但是如果我们仔细分析上下文,就可以知道这个答话是在回答关于where的问题,从而判断此题其实是考查定语从句与强调句型的混用,完整形式应为It was on the farm where/on which we worked that I got to know her。题目省略了that I got to know her这部分内容,考查的是定语从句,先行词farm在定语从句中充当地点状语,故选答案D。
例4:The place ______ the bridge is supposed to be built should be ______ the cross-river traffc is the heaviest.
A. which; where B. at which; which
C. at which; where D. which; in which
解析:本题考查的是定语从句与名词性从句的混用形式。通过分析句子结构,我们找到主句The place should be where the cross-river traffc is the heaviest,因而第一个填空是考查定语从句,先行词the place在定语从句中既不是主语(主语the bridge),又不是谓语动词的宾语(is supposed to be built是被动语态),由此判断出the place充当地点状语,要用where或者at which;继续分析第二个填空,在be 动词后面为表语从句,应用where,因此选择C。
徐香
江苏省镇江市丹徒高级中学高级教师,镇江市第六批中青年骨干教师,丹徒区教学能手;有丰富的毕业班教学经验,多次开设市、区级公开课及讲座;在《中学生英语》《新高考》《镇江教育》等杂志先后发表多篇论文。