王 岩
定语从句在句中作定语,修饰一个名词或代词,被修饰的名词或代词即为先行词。定语从句通常出现在先行词之后,由关系词(关系代词或关系副词)引出。关系代词有who, whom, whose, that, which等。
关系代词引导的定语从句
关系代词所代替的先行词是表示人或物的名词或代词,并在句中充当主语、宾语、定语等成分。关系代词在定语从句中作主语时,从句谓语动词的人称和数要和先行词保持一致。
1.who, whom, that这些词代替的先行词是表示人的名词或代词,在从句中作主语和宾语。作宾语时可省略。如:
Is he the man who/that wants to see you?
他就是想见你的人吗?(who/that在从句中作主语)
He is the man whom/that I saw yesterday.
他就是我昨天见到的那个人。(whom/that在从句中作宾语,可省略)
2.whose用来指人或物,只用作定语,意为“……的”。定语从句中 whose+名词=the+名词+of whom/which=of whom/which+the+名词。如:
The boy, whose brother is a teacher, is sitting over there.
=The boy, the brother of whom is a teacher, is sitting over there.
那个男孩坐在那边,他哥哥是个教师。
We live in the room, whose window is broken.
=We live in the room, the window of which is broken.
我们住在窗户破了的那间房里。
They rushed over to help the man, whose car had broken down.
=They rushed over to help the man, the car of whom had broken down. 那人的车坏了,大家都跑过去帮忙。
3.which, that所代替的先行词是表示事物的名词或代词,在从句中可作主语、宾语。作宾语时可省略。如:
And there she saw a wall of water which/that was quickly advancing towards her. 在那里,她看到一堵墙似的洪水迅速地朝她涌来。(which/that在句中作主语)
The story that/which you read is Rescue.
你读的这个故事是《拯救》。(which/that在句中作宾语,可省略)
The package(which/that) you are carrying is about to come unwrapped.
你拿的包快散了。(which/that在句中作宾语,可省略)
4.只能用that作定语从句的关系代词的情况
(1))在不定代词,如anything, nothing, the one, all, much, few, any, little等作先行词时,只用that,不用which。
There is still much that can be done about it.
关于这件事情还有许多要做。
Have you got anything that belongs to me? 你有没有拿过我的东西?
(2)先行词有the only, the very修饰时,只用that。
The only thing that could be done is to find our way home.
唯一能做的事情就是找到回家的路。
Thats the only watch that I like. 这是我唯一喜欢的表。
(3)先行词为序数词、数词、形容词最高级时,只用that。
The first step that we are to take is very difficult.
我们要做的第一步是很难的。
This is the best place that Ive ever visited.
这是我曾参观过的最好的地方。
(4)先行词既有人,又有物时。
He talked about the men and the books that attracted him.
他谈到了吸引他的人和书。
They talked about the teachers and the schools that they knew.
他们谈到了他们熟悉的老师和学校。
(5)在以which, who开头的句子中常用that。
Who that has seen him does not like him?
见过他的人谁会不喜欢他呢?
Which is the car that killed the man?
撞死那个男子的车是哪一辆?