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【摘要】定语从句是英语句子中构成长难句不可或缺的句型之一,对它的掌握一直是中国学生语法学习中的难点,很多学生无法独立理解和分析,更不用说在作文中的正确使用。本文旨在用合并两个简单句的方法引入定语从句的演变并讲解定语从句中的关系代词,从而让高中生在定语从句的学习中登堂入室。
【关键词】合并句子 定语从句 关系代词
学习背景及基础知识的准备
语法是语言的重要组成部分,必然是教师教学过程中的核心内容之一。在高中语法教学中,定语从句就是教师讲解的重点,却又是许多学生的语法学习中的短板。虽然学生们在初中阶段已经学过定语从句,多数能读懂含有简单定语从句的句子,但高中阶段对定语从句运用的能力要求更高,不仅要求学生理解其句法功能,还要求学生能运用定语从句进行书面表达。要求提高了,难度也随之增加。
英语和汉语中都有定语,英语中的定语从句是汉语中所没有的;而且中英两种语言的句型结构也有着巨大差异。这就对中国学生理解定语从句造成了一定的障碍。所以,课前学生必须清晰理解以下知识:
1.主语和谓语是英语句子不可或缺的两个部分,除少数句子(如祈使句和感叹句等)外,一句话必须同时具备主语和谓语,所表达的意思才完整;在复合句中,主句和从句各自具有属于自己的独立的主语和谓语。
2.定语的概念:描述见表1。
3.英语中有5种简单句的基本句型,它们是构成一切长难句的基础。
观察例句,引出定语从句的相关概念
如果直接把概念化的东西平铺直叙给学生念一遍,语言学习会枯燥而无味,而且很突兀。这时,例句的展现,引导式的分析就很重要了,如:
The students (who do not study hard) will not pass the exam.
让学生观察例句,此时在教师的指导下找出主句的主干:The students will not pass the exam,即主谓宾结构。主语the students后的从句who do not study hard对其进行修饰限定,就是定语从句,它的作用类似形容词;其中who称作是关系代词,the students是先行词。由此可以得出定语从句的位置及相关概念(见表3)(这里的关系副词仅仅是呈现,不做讲解)
运用合并句子法,展现定语从句的演变
事实上,定语从句可以看做是两个简单句的合并,通过这样的演变,学生对于汉语中所没有的定语从句的出现会产生直观的印象,而且懂得定语从句使句子结构更加紧凑,表意更加丰富、精确。
请观察下面的例句,并将它们合并成为含有关系代词的定语从句:
1. A. Nature is one thing.
B. One thing really must be experienced.
1)AB两句分别是主系表和主谓宾结构。根据句意(大自然是真正必须亲身体验的一种事物),以A句为主句,B句为从句,进行第一次直接组合:Nature is one thing (one thing really must be experienced.)
2)显然,one thing是这两个句子的相同部分,主句中的one thing作先行词,从句重复部分用关系代词代替,指物用which/ that, 句子再次精简,合并:Nature is one thing(that/which really must be experienced.) 至此,我们可以知道 先行词与关系代词是对等关系,因为one thing在从句中作主语,所以关系代词that/which也作主语。
3)由此可以得出结论:that, which引导定语从句,指代先行词one thing,并充当定从中的主语。
用同样的方法对第2,3两组句子进行合并:
2. A. The girl is Anne. (主系表)
B. We saw the girl yesterday. (主谓宾)
此组合并有两种情况,句意相同只是结构差异:
A句作主句:
1) The girl (we saw the girl yesterday) is Anne.(第一次直接组合)
2) The girl (we saw whom yesterday )is Anne.(从句重复部分用关系代词代替, 指人作宾语,用whom)
3) The girl (whom we saw yesterday) is Anne.(调整关系代词位置,一般紧跟在先行词后面)
分析得出结论:whom引导定语从句,指代先行词the girl, 并充当定语从句中saw的宾语。
B句作主句:
1) We saw the girl (the girl is Anne) yesterday.
2) We saw the girl (who is Anne) yesterday.
分析得出结论:who引导定语从句,指代先行词the girl, 并充当定语从句中的主语。
3. A. Tu Youyou is a scientist.(主系表)
B. The scientists name is known all over the world.(主系表)
1) Tu Youyou is a scientist the scientists name is known all over the world.
2) Tu Youyou is a scientist whose name is known all over the world.(关系代词中只有whose有“……的”含义,表所属关系)
分析得出结论:whose引导定从,相当于the scientists,充当定语。
这时,可以把简单句合并成为定语从句的方法再次总结呈现:(1)找出两句中相同部分,确定主句、先行词;(2)从句重复部分用相应的关系代词代替;(3)适当调整句序,一般情况下,定语从句紧跟在先行词后。
通过观察,学生在教师的引导下分析与对比,在变化推导过程中明白英语中的定语从句究竟是怎样产生演变而来的,这样的过程自然而流畅;同时可归纳得出关系代词的作用:(1)引导定语从句(或者说连接主从句);(2)指代其前的先行词;(3)在从句中充当某种成份(主要是主语、宾语、定语)。
然后,教师给出相应的练习,让学生进行实战演练。注意:初学此种方法,给出的句子可遵循由易到难的规则。
拆分定语从句,分析关系代词的具体用法
反过来,定语从句可以拆分成为简单句,从而分析关系代词的具体用法。
1.如何使用which
1) A school bus which carried 64 kids was hit by a truck last week.
该句可以拆分成为:
A. A school bus was hit by a truck last week.(主谓)
B. A school bus carried 64 kids. (主谓宾)
2) The film (which) we saw yesterday is interesting.
拆句:
A. The film is interesting. (主系表)
B. We saw the film yesterday. (主谓宾)
通过前面的分析,关系代词与先行词是对等关系:a school bus=which, the film=which(以下例句可以同理推导),所以,教师可以轻松引导学生得出结论:which可以指代物,在定语从句中可以充当主语和宾语成分。
2.如何使用that
3) English is a language that is used and learned by many people all over the world.
拆句:
A. English is a language. (主系表)
B. A language is used and learned by many people all over the world. (主谓)
a language = that
4)She is the girl (that) you saw in school.
拆句:
A. She is the girl. (主系表)
B. You saw the girl in school.(主谓宾)
the girl= that
小结: that可以指代物和人,在从句中作主语和宾语。
3.如何使用who和whom
5) Those who reported the news were expected to speak excellent English.
A. Those were expected to speak excellent English.(主谓宾)
B. Those reported the news. (主谓宾)
those=who
6) You can rely on the girl (whom) you talked with.
A. You can rely on the girl. (主谓宾)
B. You talked with the girl. (主谓宾)
the girl = whom
小结:who可以指代人,在定从中作主语;whom可以指代人,在定从中作宾语。
4.如何使用whose
7)Dont get too close to the house whose wall has big cracks.
A. Dont get too close to the house. (主谓宾)
B. The houses wall has big cracks. (主谓宾)
the houses= whose
8) The boy whose name is Jack is in my class.
A. The boy is in my class. (主系表)
B. The boys name is Jack. (主系表)
the boys= whose
小结:whose可以指代人和物,以whose + n.形式出现,在定语从句中作定语成分。
课后延伸
句子赋予语法生命,在许多的优美句子和篇章中都有定语从句的身影。此时教师可以给学生提供这样的例子,让他们感受其无穷魅力的同时也激发他们努力学习运用定语从句的动力:
1. There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating:people who know absolutely everygthing, and people who know absolutely nothing.(The Picture of Dorian Gray)
2. Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantage s that youve had. (The Great Gatsby)
3. To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail. (——Abraham Maslow)
结语
用合并句子来展现定语从句演变,拆分句子来分析关系代词的具体用法,充分体现了归纳法在语法教学中的作用。这篇文章对于高中生学习定语从句可以起到抛砖引玉的作用,让他们知其所以然。掌握好了这种方法,有关定语从句后续知识的学习自然是水到渠成的事了。
参考文献:
[1]章振邦.新编英语语法教程(第三版)[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2002:1.