学习宾语从句的三要素

宾语从句,即在主句中担当宾语的从句。学习宾语从句要抓住三要素:连接词、语序和时态。

学习宾语从句并不难,只要我们能过好下面的三道关:

第一关,选好连接词(也叫关联词)。

引导宾语从句的连接词,课本上写有三类,但从学习的角度看分为四类更为实用。

1.连词that:只起连接作用,在从句中不作句子成分,也无词汇意义,在口语中或非正式文体中常被省略。例如: ①He knew(that)he should work hard. ②I am glad(that)you've passed the exam.

2.连词whether或if:它们起连接作用,在从句中不作句子成分,作“是否”解,口语中多用if。例如: ③Do you know whether he will ride here at 8 tomorrow morning? ④Tom didn't know if/whether his grandpa liked the present.

作“是否”解的if和whether在具体用法上差别较大,同学们不易掌握。在宾语从句中用whether没有用if时受到那么多限制。例如: ⑤He asked me whether or not I was coming.他问我是否要来。(该句中的whether不能换成if,因为if不能与or连用。)

3.连接代词who,whom ,whose,what, which:它们起连接作用,作句子成分各有其自己的意义。例如:⑥The teacher asked the new student which class he was in?(which引导宾语从句,在从句中作定语,修饰class,意为“哪个”。) ⑦Can you tell me whom he is waiting for?

4.连接副词when,where, why,how:起连接作用,分别作时间、地点、原因、方式状语,各有其自己的意义。例如: ⑧I wonder where he got so much money.对他从哪里弄到那么多钱我感到疑惑。(where在从句中作地点状语,修饰got,意为“哪里;什么地方”。) ⑨He didn't tell me how old his friend was.(how引导宾语从句,作程度状语,修饰old,意为“怎样;如何”等意。)

第二关,牢记宾语从句的语序是陈述句语序,即“连接词+主语+谓语+其他”。这里特别强调的是,它的主语和谓语的语序是陈述句的语序,不是疑问句的倒装语序。例如: ⑩You must remember what your teacher said. ⑾―Dad,do you know when the football game will start? ―In half an hour.⑿汉译英:你能不能告诉我,我们去看望谁? 误:Can you tell me who(m)do we have to see? 正:Can you tell me who(m)we have to see?

错句的错误出在宾语从句中误用了疑问句的结构――主语前加了个助动词do。因为我们已经习惯了特殊疑问句,如What time does the plane arrive in Paris?就顺口说出“Do you know what time does the plane arrive in Paris?”这种错误句子来。但是一旦我们注意了,我们不久就习惯于说“Do you know what time the plane arrives in Paris?”了。

第三关,注意时态的呼应。 宾语从句中谓语动词的时态,常常受主句谓语时态的制约,这种现象称为“时态的呼应”。例如: ⒀汉译英:我原以为你今天有空的。 误:I thought(that)you are free today. 正:I thought(that)you would be free today.

错句中宾语从句用are很可能是因为有 today,但因为主句谓语是thought,所以从句谓语就该用过去将来时would be了。

这种时态的呼应,如果主句谓语是现在时或将来时,宾语从句的谓语时态不受限制,如上述例句2),3),7),8),10),11),12)。如果主句时态是过去时,宾语从句一般要随着改为相应的过去时(即一般过去时、过去进行时、过去完成时、过去将来时等)。例如: ⒁He thought he was working for the people. ⒂I heard she had been to the Great Wall. ⒃John hoped that he would find a job soon. 但宾语从句如果表示定理法则、永恒真理等,则不变化: ⒄The teacher told us that the earth moves around the sun.