作者:arco
鏈接:https://www.zhihu.com/question/27037537/answer/2712547800
來源:知乎
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定語從句或者形容詞性從句。
1. John said he would finish the book which you gave him.
這裡的從句which you gave him確實可以看成是定語, 修飾先行詞the book.
但是下面這個例子就不行:
2. John said he would finish the book, which he didn't.
這裡從句which he didn't的先行詞並不是the book,which指代的也不是the book,而是finish the book這個動詞短語。
其實對於上面兩個句子,更準確的叫法應該叫關係從句(relative clause).
兩句話有重合的元素,就可以用關係從句關聯起來。
比如上面第一句話可以理解成是由下面兩句合併而成:
a)John said he would finish the book.
b)You gave him the book.
兩者在the book上面重合,若把b句改為從句,則把重合點the book改為關係詞which或that,然後再提到句首用來引導從句,即which you gave him,然後再把這個從句放到a句重合的元素(the book)後面,變成:
John said he would finish the book which you gave him.
我們再來看一個例子:
They lived underground, where they kept machines running so that the Eloi would be happy and well fed.
上面這句話可以理解成是由下面兩句合併而成。
a)They lived underground.
b)They kept machines running underground so that the Eloi would be happy and well fed.
合併成關係從句第一步,把b句的重合部分改寫成關係詞,這裡underground是副詞,表示地點,因此改為where.
They kept machines running where so that the Eloi would be happy and well fed.
第二步,把關係詞提到從句句首。
where they kept machines running so that the Eloi would be happy and well fed.
第三步,與主句合併。
They lived underground, where they kept machines running so that the Eloi would be happy and well fed.
由於先行詞underground是副詞,有人就會覺得後面where引導的是一個狀語從句,但其實這還是一個關係從句。
我們再來看一個例子:
He was only 23 years old, and I don't think he expected it to be treated as autobiographical, which it wasn't.
上面這個關係從句的關係詞which指的是treated as autobiographical 這個過去分詞 短語,這是主從句之間重合的元素。