定语从句在句中做定语,修饰句中的某一名词(或代词)。
被定语从句所修饰的词叫做先行词。
定语从句必须放在先行词之后。
引导定语从句的关联词有关系代词that(指人或物)、which(指物)、who(指人)。例如:
This is the building(that we built last year).这就是我们去年建的楼房。
(that引导的定语从句修饰先行词building)
The man(who is talking with a group of students)is our headteacher.
正在和一群学生谈话的那个人是我们班主任。(who引导的定语从句修饰先行词man)
当关系代词在定语从句中做宾语时,关系代词常被省略去。例如:
The letter which I received yesterday was from a friend of mine.(=The letter I received yesterday was from a friend of mine.)我昨天收到的那封信是我的朋友寄来的。
注:that引导的定语从句,所修饰的先行词既可指人也可指物;which引导的定语从句所修饰的先行词一般是物。这样that和which引导的定语从句都能修饰先行词“物”,它们有什么区别?分析如下:
A.在限定性定语从句中用that的情况:
1.当先行词前有一个最高级形容词所修饰的时候。例如:
This is one of the most exciting football games that I have ever seen.这是我所看过的足球赛中最激烈的一场。
2.当先行词前有一个序数词所修饰时。例如:
The first thing that you could do was to turn off the light.你首先要做的就是熄灭灯。
3.先行词为all,everything,nothing,something,anything,little,much,none等不定代词时。例如:
All that we have to do for our students is to tell them how to speak English in class.我们为学生所做的事情就是告诉他们如何在课上说英语。
I'm going to buy everything(that)I need.我要去买我所需要的一切东西。
4.当先行词前面有only,all,any,no等词修饰时。例如:
The only thing that he could do was to run away.他唯一要做的就是逃跑。
There are no people that things must not happen to.不碰到事故的人是没有的。
5.先行词为人、物共存时。例如:
We haven't met the man and his dog(that)were in the street yesterday.我们没有遇到昨天在大街上的那个人和他的狗。
B.在定语从句中用which的情况。
1.关系代词在介词后面时。例如:
This is the house in which Tom once lived.这是汤姆以前住过的房子。
2.先行词为that时。例如:
What's that which you are holding in your hands?你手里举的是什么?
3.在非限定性定语从句中。例如:
Football,which is a very in teresting game,is played all over the world.世界都踢足球,这是一项有趣的活动。
All the books here,which have beautiful pictures in them,were written by him.
这里所有的书都是由他写的,书中有漂亮的插图。