如 何 学 好 定 语 从 句

 

珠海广播电视大学   丁武

 

电视大学商务英语专业的学生同普通高校的学生相比，在基础上有较大的差距。在教学中发现，学生除了词汇量少外，另一个在学习上很大的障碍就是语法知识相当薄弱。而商务英语本科没有专门的语法课程，教材中也未涉及到语法知识的讲解，反映在教学上就是学生在对句子和文章的理解上因语法薄弱而存在很多的困难。在最后写毕业论文的时候不合语法规则的句子大量存在。在未安排专门的语法课程学习的情况下，我们教师有必要在教学中要把重、难点语法内容讲清、讲透，以适应学生学习和考试的要求。定语从句是英语学习各阶段特别是较高水平阶段非常重要的语法内容，也是难点内容。同时定语从句也是高考各类考试热点之一。本文试图通过对定语从句的详解和考试难点的分析为同学学习，也为同行教师提供一个参考。缺漏之处，敬请指正。

 

1．什么是定语从句（attributive clause）?

 定语从句从字面上看就是指在句中充当定语的句子。著名语法学家薄冰解释为，定语从句在句中作定语用，修饰句中的某一名词或代词（薄冰，341）。定语从句所修饰的词叫先行词。一般说来，定语从句紧跟在所修饰的先行词之后。

 I don’t like the book（先行词）that I bought yesterday（定语从句）.

 

2．限制性定语从句和非限制性定语从句:

根据定语从句和先行词的语义关系把定语从句分为限制性定语从句和非限制性定语从句。限制性定语从句与主句关系非常密切，通常没有逗号隔开。限制性定语从句在句中不可缺少，否则主句的意义将不完整。非限制性定语从句与主句关系较为松散，它只是对先行词的附加说明，即使省去也不影响主句的意义。例如：

1）This is the best film that I have ever seen. (限制性定语从句)

2）Last night I saw a very good film, which was about robots. ( 非限制性定语从句)

 

3．定语从句的关系词:

定语从句的关系词按功能分为两类，一类为关系代词，在从句中充当主语和宾语；一类是关系副词，在从句中充当状语。详见下表：

                            ↗ which : 指物, 在从句中可充当主语和宾语

↗ 关系代词 →  that :  既可指人也可指物, 成份同上

            ↘  who :  主格, 指人, 在从句中可充当主语

                whom : 宾格, 指人, 在从句中可充当宾语

定语从句关系词                  whose : 所有格, 既可指人也可指物, 充当从句中定语，指人有时也用of whom, 指物时也可用of which

               

                        ↗  when : 在从句中充当时间状语

↘ 关系副词

                        ↘  where : 在从句中充当地点状语

 

 

4.     选择关系词的诀窍:

通常来说,选择关系词的诀窍是：

1）判断是否为定语从句

A．定语从句一定要有先行词，否则不是定语从句，例如，

Put the book where it is. 在此where引导的是地点状语从句，因为它没有指地点的先行词，所以不是定语从句。但很多同学会用in which来代替where, 是错把此句当定语从句看。

试比较：Put the book to the place where it belongs.（此句where引导的定语从句修饰先行词the place）

B．定语从句为主从复合句，切莫把并列句当定语从句而使用关系词，例如，

      Many students got high marks this time, but only few of _____ are boys.

       a. who   b. whom  c. them  d. which

许多学生错选答b. whom，错误在于此句有并列连词but，因此应选答c. them。

    试比较：Many students got high marks this time, only few of whom are boys.

2）找出从句中缺少什么成份，再判断是指人还是指物，或指时间还是地点，据此以选择关系词，如：

A．            This is the place where I once worked for five years.

B．            This is the place that I visited a few days ago.

A句用where是因为结合先行词来看从句缺少地点状语，而B句用that是因为结合先行词来看从句却少指物的宾语。

3）有时可采取这样的办法，即把从句和先行词连接起来，如果可连接且不缺任何成份，则选关系代词；如果不可直接连接而需补充其它词，则用关系副词，如：

A．I will never forget the days when we played and studied together.

B．I will never forget the days that we spent together.

A句用when是因为，当我们把从句和先行词the days连接时，必需加上介词on方能连接，We played and studied together on the days.

B句用that是因为，从句和先行词the days可以直接连接，而不需补充任何词，We spent the days together.

 

5.     特殊关系词引导的定语从句

1）关系代词as

关系代词as通常用在如下一些句型中：

A．            As is known to all/As you know , paper was first made in China. (as在从句中作宾语，指代整个主句的含义，有“正如---”之意)

   比较：It is known to all/You know that paper was first made in China.

   注意：which也有类似用法，然而which引导的定语从句不能放在句首，而as引导的定语从句可放在句首，也可在句末，例如：

    Dorothy was always speaking highly of her role in the play, ________, of course ,  made the others unhappy.
a．who  b．which   c．this  d．what （本题为2000年高考题，选B）

B．            I have the same trouble as you (have).

         不过，当先行词被same修饰，且指“同一物品”时要用that。如：

 She is wearing the same dress that she wore yesterday.

       C．   He is such a kind person as is always ready to help others.

2）关系副词why

关系副词why（可由for which替代 ）通常跟在先行词the reason后引导定语从句，表示“---的原因”。例如：

 The reason why he was late is that he helped an old man on his way to school.

注意比较：The reason that he gave to the teacher is unreasonable.

 

6．指物时特定条件下which和that的选择:

有些场合我们宜用关系代词that，这些场合有：

1）先行词由序数词和形容词最高级修饰时，如：

This is the first novel that I have ever read.

This is the most exciting film that I have ever seen.

2）先行词为all, everything, nothing, anything, little等不定代词时，如：

All that I need is a good rest. （that在此为从句宾语，可省略）

注意比较：What I need is a good rest.

不过：something后关系代词用that和which均可。

3）当先行词有the only, the last, the very修饰时关系代词用that，如：

This is the only thing that I want to do now.

This is the very book that interests me.

This is the last thing that I will do.

4）当先行词既有人又有物时关系代词用that,例如，

I like the books and the authors that our teacher introduced to us this morning.

5）当先行词为疑问代词who，或在who疑问句中时，关系代词用that,例如，

Who that has common sense will do such a thing?

Who is the girl that got the first prize in the competition?

6）当关系代词在定语从句中作表语时用that。如：

This is no longer the place that it used to be。

He is not the man that he was.

7) 定语从句内容为解释名词的性质、概念时，需用that。如：

A plane is a machine that can fly.

有些场合宜用关系代词which，例如，

1）限制性定语从句中指物时关系代词用which，例如：

They have gone to Beijing, which is the capital city of China.

2）作介词的宾语并紧跟在其后时用which，

The ladder on which I was standing began to slip.

注意比较：The ladder which/that I was standing on began to slip.

还要注意：当介词为与动词构成的固定短语时介词不可放在关系代词前，如：

This is the book that I have been looking for.

不可以说成，This is the book for which I have been looking.

3）      作先作词的集体名词着眼于集体的整体，关系代词用which;若是指集体中的各个成员，则用who，例如：

A.   The class, which is winning, is Class One, Grade Two.

B.     The class, who are all trying their best to do good deeds today, is in the charge of Mr. Zeng.

7．避免从句中出现与关系代词意义重复的词:

要对学生强调关系词本身在从句中充当一定的成份，而避免出现重复词。常见错误：

1）The book which you want to buy it is sold out. （which指代the book，it为重复词）

   2）The house where he lives in is very large.（where指代in the house, in为重复词）

 

8．如何区分定语从句与同位语从句:

许多学生容易混淆that引导的定语从句和that引导的同位语从句。分析要点是：定语从句的连词that一定要在从句中充当主语、宾语或表语的成份，而同位语从句的连词that只起连接作用而不充当任何成份。例如：

1）We have to accept the fact that they told us just now.

在这里that引导定语从句并充当从句的宾语。

2）They have to come o terms with the fact that they have lost the chance of winning.

本句中that从句为fact的同位语从句，that在此不充当任何成份。

 

9．如何区分定语从句和强调句型结构:

   很多学生考试时容易把定语从句和强调结构混淆，尤其是强调句子的状语时。

要点：可以采取删除法，即把强调结构的It is/was --- that删除，如果整个句子仍然完整，则为强调结构，例如：

   It was at Christmas that John gave Mary a present. 当我们把It was---that拿去，此句仍然完整（At Christmas John gave Mary a present. ），因此，此处that不可由when取代。

试比较：It was Christmas when I received this beautiful vase.（此处when不可用that，因为当我们把It was---that拿去时，句子不成立）

 

10.  如何区分where引导的定语从句和where引导的状语从句:

区分要点： where如果引导的是定语从句则一定要有先行词,而where引导的状语从句则无。例如：

1）I like to live in the house where there are many plants nearby. （定语从句）

本句where可由in which替代。

2）I like to live where there are many plants nearby.  （地点状语从句）

本句where不可由in which替代。

 

11．定语从句的主谓一致问题:

  学生在做定语从句的练习时还容易在主谓一致问题上出错，错误例举如下：

1）Anyone who want to go hiking will sign their names here. （who指代anyone为单数，因此want需加改为为wants）

2）Those who has finished their homework may go home.（who指代those为复数，因此has需变为have）

3）He is one of the students whohas passed the exam.（先行词有one of修饰并且关系代词作主语时，谓语动词要用复数，因此has应改为have）

4）He is the only one of the students who have passed the exam. （先行词有the only one of修饰并且关系代词作主语时，谓语动词要用单数，因此have应改为has）

 

 

 

12．非限制性定语从句中the+noun.+of which与whose+noun. 的换用，如：

1)  Mr. Burak lives in a big house, the window of which(=whose) faces south.

2)   Please pass me the book, the cover of which(=whose) is yellow.

13．实战练习：

1.His parents wouldn’t let him marry anyone ______ family was poor.

A. of whom  B. whom  C. of whose  D. whose

2.She heard a terrible noise,  _______ brought her heart into her mouth.

A. it  B. which  C. this  D. that

3.In the dark street ,  there wasn’t a single person _____ she could turn for help.

A. that  B. who  C. from whom  D. to whom 

4. The weather turned out to be very good ,  ____ was more than we could expect.

A. what  B. which  C. that   D. it 

5. After living in Pairs for fifty years he returned to the small town ____ he grew up as a child.

A. which  B. where  C. that  D. when 

6．Carol said the work would be done by October,_______ personally I doubt very much.
A. it   B. that  C. when  D. which 

7.     Dorothy was always speaking highly of her role in the play, ________,of course , made the others unhappy.

A．who  B．which  C．this  D．what 

8.Recently I bought an ancient Chinese vase , _____ was very reasonable.

A. which price  B. the price of which   C. its price  D. the price of whose

9._____ has already been pointed out , grammar is not a set of dead rules.

A. As  B. It  C.  That  D. Which

10.He lived in London for three months , during ____ time he learned some English.

A. this  B. which  C. that  D. same

11.On the wall hung a picture, _____ color is blue.

A. whose  B. of which   C. which  D. its

12.Whenever I met him , ____ was fairly often, I like his sweet and hopeful smile.

A. what  B. which  C. that . when

13.The visitor asked the guide to take his picture _____ stands the famous tower.

A. that  B. where  C. which  D. there

14.The boss ____ department Ms King worked ten years ago look down upon women.

A. in which  B. in that  C. in whose  D. whose

15.I don’t like _____ you speak to her.

A. the way  B. the way in that   C. the way which  D. the way of which

16.I had neither a raincoat nor an umbrella.  _______ I got wet through.

A. It’s the reason  B. That’s why   C. There’s why   D. It’s how

17.He made another wonderful discovery,  ____ of great importance to science.

A. Which I think is   B. that I think it is

C. which I think it    D.I think which is

18.He was very rude to the customs officer, ____ of course made things even worse.

A. who  B. whom  C. what  D.  which

19. Is this hotel______ you said we were to stay in your letter?

A. where    B. which    C. in which     D. that

20. Is this the hotel _____ we stayed a few years ago?

A. where     B. which      C. on which      D. that

KEYS: 1-5 DBDBB　 6-10 DBCAB　11-15 ABBCA　 16-20 BADAA

参考文献：

A.J.Thomson & A.V.Martinet, 1986, A Practical English Grammar (fourth edition ), Oxford University Press ,1986

薄冰、赵德鑫等，1989，英语语法手册（修订第三版），商务印书馆

刘耀辉，非限制性定语从句重点、难点、考点聚焦，英语通（高一版），2003年第5期

吴小凰，学语法，找规律，变复杂为简单，龙岩师专学报，2001年7月

张道真，1985，实用英语语法，商务印书馆

张思中，1992，中级英语集中循环教学语法，上海交通大学出版社

章振邦，1997，新编英语语法教程（第二版），上海外语教育出版社