也谈英语定语从句

摘 要：定语从句是用一个句子对另一个句子成份的修饰与限定，但在学生运用过程中会出现较多的失误，原因是学生在学习过程中对一些细节及本质理解和掌握的不够好，对此本文将对这些地方加以说明与阐述。

关键词：英语；定语从句；限定；成份；用法

定语从句是英语语法的重点，在英语学习中起着很重要的作用，特别是在应试教育中，学生是否能够准确掌握定语从句直接影响其英语学习水平。定语从句（attribute clause）是用一个句子对另一个句子的一个成份或部分进行修饰与限定，通常置于被修饰的词之后。被修饰的词叫先行词（antecedent），由名词或代词充当。引导定语从句的关联词为关系代词（that. which. who. whose.whom）和关系副词（where. when. Why）。定语从句中关系代词和关系副词的作用，是把作定语的从句和主句被修饰的先行词连接在一起，而且在从句中充当一个句子成分如：主语、宾语、状语等。定语从句从类型上分为限定型定语从句与非限定性定语从句。

1.限定性定语从句

1）由关系代词that引导的定语从句中，that在从句中即可作主语，亦可作宾语（在非正式文体中可省去）；即可指人，亦可指物，但在当代英语中多指物。如：

A letter that is written in pencil is difficult to read.用铅笔写的信很难读。（关系代词that代替先行词letter 在从句中作主语）

The letter( that) I received from him yesterday is very important.昨天他来的信很重要。（关系代词that代替先行词letter在从句中作宾语）

Is he the man that sells eggs 他是买鸡蛋的那个人吗？（关系代词that代替先行词man在句中作主语）

Is he the man ( that )we are talking about(关系代词that代替先行词man在句中作宾语)

2）由关系代词which引导定语从句，which在从句中即可作主语，亦可作宾语；一般皆指物。如:

He came from a family which was very poor.（关系代词which代替先行词family在从句中作主语）

This is the pen which you want.（关系代词which代替先行词pen在从句中作宾语）

同时在限定性定语从句中that. which的用法还有另外一些限制与要求。

A.只能用that，不能用which连接的定语从句。

①先行词部分有不定代词，few, all, little, much, something, nothing, everything时.

如：.All that we have to do is to practice every day.所有我能够做的事情就是每天做练习。

②先行词部分是叙述词或有序数词修饰时。

如：He is the last person (that ) I want to see.他是我最不想见的人。

③先行词是形容词最高级或者是被形容词最高级修饰时。

This is the best that has been used against pollution.这是用来防止污染的最好的办法。

④先行词被all, any, every, few, little, no, some修饰时。

如：I have read all the books that you gave me.我已经把你给我的书全部读完了。

⑤有两个定语从句，其中一个关系代词已用which,另外一个宜用that。

如：Edison built up a factory which produced things that had never been seen before.爱迪生办了一家工厂，生产过去从未见过的东西。

⑥先行词部分既有人、又有物时。

如：They talked of things and persons that they remembered in the factory.

⑦主句已有疑问词who或which时

如：Which is the book that you lost你丢失的是哪一本书？

如：Who is the women that was praised at the meeting在大会上被表扬的那个女的是谁？

B.只能用which不能用that连接的定语从句。

①在非限定性定语从句中，只宜用which，不能用that。

如：London, which is the capital of U.K., is a very beautiful ciry.伦敦市英国的首都，它是一座十分美丽的城市。

②在限定性定语从句中关系代词前有介词时。

如：This is the house in which you will stay.这就是你将要在那里住的旅馆。

③如句中有两个定语从句，其中一个用that则另一个用which。

如：Let me show you the novel that I borrowed from the library which was nearly open to us.

我给你看一下，我从向我们开放的图书馆借的小说。

3）由关系代词who. whom.whose引导定语从句。

who是主格，可以代替人（即它的先行词必须是人），在从句中用作主语（在非正式英语中亦可用作宾语）；.whom是宾格，代替人（即它的先行词必须是人）在从句中作宾语；.whose是所有格，在从句中作定语。它即可以代替人也可以代替物。

如：I met someone who said he knew you。我遇到一个说认识你的人。（主格关系代词who指代先行词someone在从句中作said的主语）

Is that the man whom you referred to那个就是你指的那个人吗？（宾格关系代词whom指代先行词man在从句中作referred to的宾语）

He is the philosopher whose influence has been the greatest.他是影响最大的教授。（所有格关系代词whose指代先行词philosopher在从句中作influence的定语）

Which is the Asian country whose economy is growing the fastest哪个亚洲国家的经济增长最快？（所有格关系代词whose指代先行词Asian country 在从句中作economy的定语）

4）关系副词when. where. why引导定语从句。

关系副词是用来引导定语从句的，它和关系代词一样，具有数种作用：

①在定语从句中指代先行词。

②在定语从句中担任成分――状语，亦即在从句中起副词和介词短语的作用。

③ 起连接作用，它把两个句子连接成为一个带有定语从句的主从复合句。

where在从句中作地点状语，指代地点。

This is the house + I was born in the house./ I was born there. = This is the house where I was born.这就是我出生的那所房子。(where代替先

行词the house，作地点状语，代替there或in the house)

同样上述句子也可以用关系代词来连接，见下面的例句。

This is the house（which/that/可省略）I was born.

This is the house in which I was born.

When 在从句中作时间状语，指代时间。

He came at a time when we needed help.他在我们需要人帮忙的时候来了。（when代替先行词at a time在从句中作时间状语）

此句同样也可以用关系代词表示。

He came at a time( which/that/可省去)we needed help at.

He came at a time at which we needed help.

Why在从句中作原因状语，指代原因。

The reason why I’m calling you is to invite you to a party.我给你打电话的原因就是想邀请你参加一个晚会。（关系副词why代替先行词reason在从句中作原因状语）

带reason的定语从句和表语从句的区别：

Do you know the reason why he was late.

你知道为什么迟到了吗？

定语从句The reason why……

表语从句The reason is that ……

The reason is that I want to invite you to a party.原因就是我想邀请你参加一个晚会。

2.非限定性定语从句。

①限定性定句从句表明修饰语与中心词之间的关系密切,如去掉从句，则意义不完整。

②非限定性定语从句表明先行词与修饰语的关系不十分密切，去掉从句、主句子意思仍完整，形式上用逗号把主，从句隔开。that一般不引导非限定性定语从句。

如：

I like to chat with John, who is a clever boy.我喜欢与约翰交谈，他是个聪明人。

Water, which is a clear liquid, has many uses.水是一种清澈的液体，有许多用途。

Once more I am in Boston, where I have not been for ten years.我又一次来到了波士顿，我已经十年没有到这里来过了。

Then he met Mary, who invited him to a party.后来他遇到玛丽，玛丽邀请他去参加晚会。

When he was seventeen he went to a technical school in Zurich, Switzerland, where he studied mathematics and physics.他17岁时，到瑞士苏黎世一专科学校上学，他在那里学习数学和物理学。

We don’t like the room, which is cold.我们不喜欢那个房间，它很冷。

He said he was busy, which was untrue.他说他很忙，其实不然。

I want him, who knows some English.我要他，因为他懂些英语。

总之定语从句在使用过程中有时也相当于分词短语，是掌握分词短语作后置定语的前提与基础，充分理解定语从句的作用，对于更好掌握修饰修语具有重大作用。