余可佳 劉紅志

定語從句是高考必考的知識點之一。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，但引導詞在從句中充當spent的賓語，引導詞只能是which或that。題意是：安吉娜和她的家人一起在中國度過的準確的年份是2008年。

第2題的答案是A。關系代詞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。

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

為此筆者對以上兩道高考題進行微調后，再做隨機抽樣調查。微調后題目是：

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

當第1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在定語從句中充當狀語。調查結果顯示，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。

當第2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在定語從句中充當狀語。調查結果顯示，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，定語從句的解題關鍵不在對先行詞的判斷，而在于對引導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系代詞引導。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，關系代詞who充當定語從句的主語。

當先行詞是地點名詞和時間名詞時，如果引導詞在定語從句中充當主語、賓語或表語，同樣只能用關系代詞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， 在定語從句中充當主語。

2. 當先行詞為地點名詞時，如果引導詞在定語從句中充當狀語，則只能用關系副詞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. 當先行詞為時間名詞時，如果引導詞在定語從句中充當狀語，則只能用關系副詞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. 當先行詞為reason時，如果引導詞在定語從句中充當狀語，則只能用關系副詞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引導表示原因的定語從句，why可以換成for which。第三例中的that引導同位語從句解釋the reason的內容，此時that只起連接作用，不在從句中充當任何成分，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名詞，但如果引導詞在定語從句中作狀語，也要接where或in which引導的定語從句，其中point， situation和stage還可接when引導的定語從句。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

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