在复合句中修饰名词或代词的句子叫做定语从句.
我们一般用定语来修饰名词或是一个名词短语.
而当需要表达复杂一点的意思时, 简单地用形容词作定语就没有办法了.
此时, 我们需要借助一个句子来修饰名词, 用作名词的定语, 对名词进行限定.
简单来讲定语从句就是一个用作定语功能的从句.
如:
Hermione Granger is a smart girl.
Hermione Granger is a girl who has magic power.
上面句中smart形容词作定语, 下包中who has magic power这个句子作定语, 修饰a girl, 叫做定语从句.
对于定语从句, 必须要理解先行词和关系词.
被定语从句所修饰的对象称为先行词.
重复指代先行词、起到连接主句和从句的作用, 并且在定语从句中充当一定成分的连接词称为关系词.
作用:
关系词可分为关系代词和关系副词两种:
先行词指人的时候, 才能用关系代词who或whom.
who is standing by the classroom is our Spanish teacher.The girl who plays the piano very well is his girlfriend.
句中先行词是the girl, 关系代词who引导定语从句, 同时代替先行词在从句中担任主语.
关系词作表语
He is no longer the man who he used to be.
在此句中, the man是先行词, 表示"人"; 关系代词who引导定语从句, 同时代替先行词在从句中担任表语.
关系词作宾语
这里需要稍微强调一下, 关系词在定语从句中既可以作动词的宾语, 也可以作介词的宾语.
l can’t remember the man who/whom l gave the key to.
在此句中, the man是先行词, 关系代词who或whom引导定语从句, 同时代替先行词在从句中担任介词的宾语.
The little boy who/whom l met is Jason.
在此句中, the little boy是先行词, 关系代词who或whom引导定语从句, 同时代替先行词在从句中担任动词的宾语.
如:
The CEO for whom you are waiting is gone.
the CEO是先行词, 介词后关系代词不能用who, 而要用whom, 作介词for的宾语.
如:
Where is the student whom/who Professor Snape praised at the meeting?
(作宾语二者皆可)
The old man who lives next door is a veteran of the Second World War.
(作主语不能用whom)