余可佳 劉紅志

定語從句是高考必考的知識點(diǎn)之一。請看下面兩道高考題：

1. The exact year ? ? ? ? ?Angela and her family spent together in China was 2008.

A. when B. where C. why ?D. which

2. Among the many dangers ? ? ? ? ? ?sailors have to face， probably the greatest of all is fog.

A. which B. what C. where D. when

第1題的答案是D。盡管先行詞是時間the exact year，但引導(dǎo)詞在從句中充當(dāng)spent的賓語，引導(dǎo)詞只能是which或that。題意是：安吉娜和她的家人一起在中國度過的準(zhǔn)確的年份是2008年。

第2題的答案是A。關(guān)系代詞which代指the many dangers，在從句作face的賓語。題意是：在許多海員們不得不面臨的危險中，最大的危險可能是霧。

經(jīng)過筆者隨機(jī)抽樣調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，第一題有43%的學(xué)生錯選A。第二題有33%的學(xué)生錯選C。原因很簡單：考生以為先行詞是時間名詞時，定語從句的引導(dǎo)詞必定用when。先行詞是地點(diǎn)名詞時，定語從句的引導(dǎo)詞必定用where。

為此筆者對以上兩道高考題進(jìn)行微調(diào)后，再做隨機(jī)抽樣調(diào)查。微調(diào)后題目是：

1. The exact year ? ? ? ? ?Angela and her family lived together in China was 2008.

A. when B. where C. why ?D. which

2. Among the many dangers ? ? ? ?sailors have to work， probably the greatest of all is fog.

A. which ? B. what ? C. where ?D. when

當(dāng)?shù)?題的spent改成lived之后，答案就變成了A。因為live是不及物動詞，when在定語從句中充當(dāng)狀語。調(diào)查結(jié)果顯示，此題的正答率為70%，說明考生一見到先行詞是時間名詞，就選when。

當(dāng)?shù)?題的face改成work之后，答案就變成了C。因為work是不及物動詞，where在定語從句中充當(dāng)狀語。調(diào)查結(jié)果顯示，此題的正答率僅為17%，有43%的考生錯選A項，這說明考生對先行詞the many dangers無法作出正確的判斷。

其實(shí)，定語從句的解題關(guān)鍵不在對先行詞的判斷，而在于對引導(dǎo)詞在從句中起的作用的判斷：

1. 在定語從句中，無論先行詞是什么，若定語從句中缺少主語、賓語或表語，則定語從句只能用關(guān)系代詞引導(dǎo)。例如：

The boys who had never come across anything like this before started jumping out of the windows. 男孩子們以前從來沒有見過這種情形，嚇得開始跳窗。

在上例中，who had never come across anything like this before是定語從句，修飾the boys。在這個定語從句中，關(guān)系代詞who充當(dāng)定語從句的主語。

當(dāng)先行詞是地點(diǎn)名詞和時間名詞時，如果引導(dǎo)詞在定語從句中充當(dāng)主語、賓語或表語，同樣只能用關(guān)系代詞that或which。例如：

Last weekend another teacher， Jenny， and I did visit a village which is the home of one of the boys， Tom. 上周末我和另外一個叫珍妮的老師的確訪問了一個村莊，那是我的學(xué)生湯姆的家。

在上例中，which is the home of one of the boys， Tom是定語從句，修飾a village， 在定語從句中充當(dāng)主語。

2. 當(dāng)先行詞為地點(diǎn)名詞時，如果引導(dǎo)詞在定語從句中充當(dāng)狀語，則只能用關(guān)系副詞where或in/on/at which。例如：

The school where you studied last year has been improved.

試比較：

This is the factory where I once worked.

This is the factory that I once visited.

上兩例中引導(dǎo)詞的不同首先是因為動詞的不同。第一例中動詞work是一個不及物動詞，需要帶一個關(guān)系副詞作狀語。第二例中的動詞visit是一個及物動詞，需要帶一個關(guān)系代詞作賓語。在簡單句中會有I once worked there（in the factory），同理也會有I once visited it（指the factory）.

3. 當(dāng)先行詞為時間名詞時，如果引導(dǎo)詞在定語從句中充當(dāng)狀語，則只能用關(guān)系副詞when或in/on which。例如：

I wont ever forget the day when my team won the soccer competition.

試比較：

I will never forget the days when we worked together.

I will never forget the days which we spent together.

上兩例中引導(dǎo)詞的不同首先是因為動詞的不同。第一例中動詞work是一個不及物動詞，需要帶一個關(guān)系副詞作狀語。第二例中的動詞spend是一個及物動詞，需要帶一個關(guān)系代詞作賓語。在簡單句中會有We worked together then（指on the days）同理也會有：We spent the days together。

4. 當(dāng)先行詞為reason時，如果引導(dǎo)詞在定語從句中充當(dāng)狀語，則只能用關(guān)系副詞why或for which。例如：

The reason why he was late for school was that he was watching an interview of the first Chinese astronaut on TV.

試比較：

I dont believe the reason which he told me. 我不相信他告訴我的原因。

I dont believe the reason why he was absent. 我不相信他為什么缺席的原因。

I dont believe the reason that he was ill. 我不相信他生病了這個原因。

這一組比較的第一例中的which引導(dǎo)普通的定語從句，which作told的直接賓語，這里的which與that可以互換。第二例的why引導(dǎo)表示原因的定語從句，why可以換成for which。第三例中的that引導(dǎo)同位語從句解釋the reason的內(nèi)容，此時that只起連接作用，不在從句中充當(dāng)任何成分，也不能換成which。

5. 先行詞activity， business， case， condition， contest， culture， difference， job， mistake， point， position， race， scar， situation， stage， system和tradition等，盡管表面上看來不是時間或地點(diǎn)名詞，但如果引導(dǎo)詞在定語從句中作狀語，也要接where或in which引導(dǎo)的定語從句，其中point， situation和stage還可接when引導(dǎo)的定語從句。例如：

Life is like a long race， where we compete with others to go beyond ourselves. 生活就像一場長跑，在這場長跑中，我們和別人競爭，以求超越自己。

練習(xí)

1. She has a gift for creating an atmosphere for her students ? ? ? ? ?allows them to communicate freely with each other.

A. which B. where C. what ?D. who

2. Along the path stood some signs， ? ? ? ， ?were written “Keep off the Grass”.

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

3. I shall never forget those years ? ? ? ? ?I lived in the country with the farmers， ? ? ? ? ?has a great effect on my life.

A. that; which B. when; which

C. which; that D. when; who

4. Whatever is left over may be put into the refrigerator， ? ? ? ? it will keep for two or three weeks.

A. when B. which C. where ?D. while

5. Funny animal is a term used in comics and animated cartoons ? ? ? ? ?the animals are given human characteristics.

A. where B. that C. why ?D. as

6. Sales director is a position ? ? ? ? ?communication ability is just as importance as sales.

A. which B. that C. when ?D. where

7. The moment ? ? ? ? ?Leo will never forget is ? ? ? ? ?Mr Smith gave him a lot of valuable advice on how to improve his writing.

A. that; when B. that; that

C. when; that D. when; 不填

8. After the flooding， people were suffering in that area， ? ? ? ? urgently needed clean water， medicine and shelter to survive.

A. which B. who

C. where D. what

參考答案

1～5 AABCA

6～8 DAB