“介词+关系代词”引导定语从句是我们学习定语从句的重点。学习这种从句应注意以下几点:
1. 用于这种情况的关系代词一般为which(指物)和whom(指人)。在这种结构中,介词的选择非常关键,可以遵循以下四个原则:
(1)根据定语从句中的谓语动词确定介词,其动词与介词搭配,构成动词短语。例如:
Is this the car for which you paid a high price? (pay for)这是你花大价钱买的车吗?
(2)根据定语从句中的形容词确定介词,其形容词与介词搭配,构成形容词短语。例如:
The two things about which Karl Marx was not sure were the grammar and some of the idioms. (be sure about)马克思没有把握的两件事是:语法和习惯用法。
(3)根据定语从句修饰的先行词确定介词,其先行词往往是表示时间、地点、原因、方法、工具等的词,它们与介词之间有一定的联系。当“介词+关系代词”在定语从句中充当时间、地点、原因状语时,可分别用when, where, why替换。例如:
I’ll never forget the day on which (= when )I joined the army. 我永远也忘不了我参军的那一天。
The factory in which (= where)his father works is far away from my hometown.
他父亲工作的那家工厂离我们家乡很远。
(4)根据句子的意思确定介词。有些句子,先行词完全一样,定语从句中谓语动词不是由固定的动词短语构成的,这时,要根据句子所要表达的意思,选用不同的介词。例如:
This is the pilot for whom I bought a camera. (意思是:I bought a camera for the pilot. )这就是我给他买相机的那位飞行员。
This is the pilot with whom my brother has worked for ten years. (意思是:My brother has worked with the pilot for ten years. )这就是和我弟弟一起工作了十年的那位飞行员。
2. 介词若与从句中的动词词组有关,可前置于关系代词前,也可置于动词后,但若此介词与动词为固定词组,则此介词一般不前置。例如:
This is the very pen that I’m look for. (look for为固定词组,则介词for不可前置。)那就是我正在找的那支钢笔。
3. 限定性定语从句中,介词前置时,关系代词不能用that,且不能省略;若介词后置,则可以用that,也可以省略。例如:
This is the school in which I studied 3 years ago.
→This is the school(which / that)I studied in 3 years ago.
这就是三年前我学习的那所学校。
4. 表示所属关系时,介词应用of,关系代词为which / whom, 即n. + of + which / whom,可转换为whose+ n. 。例如:
He lives in a room, the window of which faces west.
→He lives in a room, whose window faces west.
他住的房间,窗子向西开着。
5. 表示整体中的一部分或……中最……的,介词一般也用of。例如:
The Greens have two daughters, both of whom are college students.
格林夫妇有两个女儿,她们都是大学生。