定语从句中关系词的选择

董晨

定语从句是用来修饰主句中某一名词或代词的从句。它一般都跟在所修饰的名词或代词的后面，被定语从句修饰的名词或代词称为先行词，引导定语从句的词叫关系词。

关系词的选择取决于先行词在从句中所作的成分，若先行词在从句中作主语、宾语或定语，则选择关系代词；若先行词在从句中作状语，则选择关系副词。

一、关系代词的选择

1. Tom is a boy who （that） studies hard.

指人，作主语

2. Jane is a girl whom （that） you can trust.

指人，作trust的宾语

3. Bob is the boy whose father is a pilot.

指人，作定语

4. A plane is a machine which （that） can fly.

指物，作主語

5. Is this the book which （that） you bought yesterday？

指物，作宾语

6. My uncle bought a house， whose roof （=the roof of which） was green. 指物，作定语

注意：

1. 若先行词在从句中作宾语时，关系代词可以省略。如例2和例5两句中的关系代词都可以省略。

2. 一般说来，无论先行词是指人还是指物，也不论代表先行词的关系代词在从句中作主语还是作宾语，都可以用that，但需注意的是，that还有“六用，三不用”原则。

六用

（1）当先行词是指事物的anything， everything， nothing， none， all， few， little， much等不定代词，或先行词被any， every， no， all， few， little， much修饰的事物名词时，多用that。如：

I cannot learn anything that does not interest me.

Ive read all the books that were borrowed from the library.

（2）当先行词被the only， the very， the same， the right/just， one of等修饰时，多用that。如：

This is the very book that I am looking for.

This is the only watch that I have.

（3）当先行词既有人又有物时，宜用that。如：

They talked about the persons and the things that they remembered in the school.

（4）当先行词为序数词或先行词被序数词修饰时，多用that。如：

It was the first skyscraper that was designed by our own engineers.

（5）当先行词为形容词最高级或先行词被形容词最高级修饰时，多用that。如：

Shakespeare is the greatest English writer that ever lived.

（6）当主句是以who 或which 开头的特殊疑问句时，为避免重复，多用that。如：

Who is the lady that is talking to our teacher？

Which is the house that caught fire last night？

注意：一个句子中含有两个定语从句，一个关系代词用that，另一个用which。如：

Let me show you the book that I borrowed from the library which was newly open to us.

三不用

（1）先行词是指人的one， anyone， everyone， those， people， he等，或指人的先行词位于there be之后时，用who 或whom，不用that。如：

He who laughs last laughs best.

God helps those who help themselves.

One who has travelled far and wide will probably have a broad outlook.

We should forgive people who hurt us.

Is there anybody else who should be invited？

（2）直接位于介词之后， 用which或whom，不能用that。如：

Here is the car about which I told you.

Who is the man with whom you just shook hands？

（3）在非限制性定语从句中，用who， whom， which，不能用that。如：

I have lost my pen， which I like very much.

二、关系副词的选择

1. 当先行词是表示时间的名词，且在定语从句中作时间状语时，用when。如：

October 1st，1949 was the day when the Peoples Republic of China was founded.

注意：有时虽然先行词是表示时间的名词，但如果定语从句中缺少的是主语或宾语，此时应使用关系代词。请比较：

I will never forget the days when I worked in the city.

先行词 作时间状语

I will never forget the days （that /which） I spent in the city.

先行词 作宾语

2. 当先行词是表示地点的名词，且在定语从句中作地点状语时，用where。如：

Everyone wants to visit the place where Lu Xun once lived.

注意：where 和when 一样，在定语从句中只能充当状语；否则，必须用关系代词。请比较：

This is the factory where my father worked last year.

先行词 作地点状语

This is the factory （that /which） my father visited last year.

先行詞 作宾语

3. 当先行词为reason，且在定语从句中作原因状语时，用why。如：

The reason why she told a lie is unknown.

注意：当在句中不是作状语，而是作主语或宾语时，用that。请比较：

The reason why he was late for class is that he got up late.

先行词 作原因状语

The reason that/which he gave us was hard to accept.

先行词 作宾语

即学即练：

1. This is the school __________we visited yesterday.

2. This is the school ____________ my father works.

3. The boy ______ parents are dead was brought up by his grandfather.

4. Can you see the house of______ the window face the south？

5. This is the very thing _______ I am looking for.

6. Who is the man _______ spoke to you at the gate？

7. I believe the reason ___________he likes traveling.

8. I believe the reason ___________he gave me for his decision.

9. The way _______ he explained to us was very simple.

10. The way _______ he explained the sentence to us was very simple.

参考答案：1. that / which 2. where / in which 3. whose 4. which 5. that 6. that 7. why / for which 8. that / which 9. that / which 10. that /in which