读《金融时报》学英文写作：定语从句——从PPLive反诉英超学「从句动词的时间轴」
事件叙述里，从句动词是你唯一的时间坐标
写完事件叙述，学生常犯的错不是时态用错，而是全部用 was：
The company made a claim. The claim was sent to a court. The deal was over in 2022.
三个 was 排在一起，读者完全看不出：哪个动作已经发生、哪个是原定计划、哪个到现在还没结束。
《金融时报》2021 年 1 月这篇报道写中国流媒体平台 PPLive（苏宁旗下）反诉英超、索赔至少 1.168 亿美元，全篇靠从句动词把”时间轴”交代得干干净净。我们逐句拆。
FT原文示范
PPLive said in its claim, which has been filed at the High Court in London, that there had been a “fundamental change” to the competition when it restarted, causing “substantial losses” to the broadcaster.
The loss of the PPLive deal, which had been due to expire in 2022, was a blow to Premier League clubs, which continue to miss out on match day revenue as games continue to take place without spectators.
The Premier League sued a streaming service owned by Chinese retail conglomerate Suning for $215m last year for failing to make payments for the rights to screen live matches and highlights.
PPLive said the Premier League had retained $116m paid for matches that were not broadcast.
中文对照：
PPLive在提交给伦敦高等法院的诉状中表示，赛事重启后出现了”根本性变化”，给这家广播公司造成了”重大损失”。
损失原定于2022年到期的PPLive合同，对英超俱乐部是一个打击，由于比赛继续在没有现场观众的情况下进行，这些俱乐部仍然得不到比赛日的收入。
英超去年起诉中国零售集团苏宁旗下流媒体服务公司PPLive Sports International，要求其支付2.15亿美元，理由是该公司未能支付转播比赛和精彩片段的版权费用。
PPLive表示，英超留存了该公司为并未播出的比赛支付的1.16亿美元转播费。
技巧1：从句用「现在完成被动」，交代”程序已启动、影响至今”
结构公式： [主语] said / wrote / argued, which has been + V-ed + [机构、地点], that + [主张]
FT例句：
PPLive said in its claim, which has been filed at the High Court in London, that there had been a “fundamental change” to the competition when it restarted.
注意两件事。第一，从句用的是 has been filed，而不是 was filed——诉状已经递交，而且这个程序”到现在还在进行中”，现在完成时正好表达这种”已完成 + 仍有效”的状态。第二，这个从句插在 said 和 that 之间：读者先看到”公司主张什么”的动作，紧接着被告知”诉状递交在哪里”，然后才读到主张的内容。这种分隔写法在法庭、外交、公文报道里非常常见，从句像一对括号。
❌ 学生初版 The company said there was a big change. The claim was sent to a court in London.
✅ 升级版 The company said in its claim, which has been filed with the district court, that the contract had been changed without notice.
💡 效果 was sent 只是”某时被寄出”，has been filed 才是”案子已经立起来了”。写投诉、诉讼、申诉类作文时，动词的这一档差别就是专业度。
考场模板：
[主语] said in its statement, which has been + V-ed + [机构], that ...- 例：The students said in their letter, which has been submitted to the principal, that the canteen prices should be reviewed.
技巧2：从句用「过去完成时」，交代”原本的计划”
结构公式： [名词], which had been due to [原定动作] + [时间], [主句：实际发生的结果]
FT例句：
The loss of the PPLive deal, which had been due to expire in 2022, was a blow to Premier League clubs…
合同原定 2022 年到期——这是”过去的过去”，所以从句用 had been due to expire。而主句 The loss … was a blow 说的是后来真正发生的事。一句里”原计划”和”实际结果”并排站着，落差自然出现，根本不用写 however。
❌ 学生初版 The deal would finish in 2022. Losing the deal was bad for the clubs.
✅ 升级版 The loss of the contract, which had been due to run until 2022, left the club without its main source of income.
💡 效果
which had been due to ... 是”原本打算/原本应该”的专用写法。写比赛取消、计划改变、承诺落空，这个句式一比就出高级感。
考场模板：
[名词], which had been due to [动词] in [时间], [后来发生的结果]- 例：The match, which had been due to kick off at 3pm, was called off two hours before the whistle.
技巧3：从句用「continue to」，交代”仍未结束”
结构公式： [名词], which continue(s) to [未解决的动作] , as [伴随情况]
FT例句：
…was a blow to Premier League clubs, which continue to miss out on match day revenue as games continue to take place without spectators.
这里的两个 which 分别锁定不同的先行词：第一个指 Premier League clubs（俱乐部仍然得不到比赛日收入），第二个指 games（比赛仍然在没有观众的情况下进行）。continue to 的用处在时间上：was 是”那一下”，continue to 是”到现在还没停”。事件叙述要写出”影响仍在持续”，靠的就是这一个动词。
⚠️ 提醒：一句里出现两个 which 时，动笔前先问自己”每一个 which 各指谁”，否则读者要回头猜。
❌ 学生初版 The clubs lost money. The games still had no fans.
✅ 升级版 Local shops, which continue to lose customers to online platforms, are trying to attract students as the new term begins.
💡 效果
continue to 让句子从”一次性损失”升级为”持续困境”。写环境、社会、经济类议论文的结尾段，这个从句能自然带出”问题尚未解决”。
技巧4（加餐）：限定性从句给”是哪一场、哪一家”定位
FT例句：
…paid for matches that were not broadcast. / The Premier League sued a streaming service owned by Chinese retail conglomerate Suning…
新闻里说”没播出的比赛”，读者马上要问”哪几场”；说”一家流媒体服务公司”，读者要问”哪家”。FT 的处理是用 that 从句或分词短语把范围钉死：matches that were not broadcast（未播出的那些场次）、owned by Suning（属于苏宁的那家）。限定性从句的功能就是”从一堆里挑出这一个”，考生写数据、写公司名、写具体事件时同样需要这个动作。
考场模板：
[复数名词] that [限定条件]/[名词] owned by / based in / named ...- 例：Students that fail to submit the form online will have to queue at the office.
针对性练习建议
- 时间轴改写：找一篇你写过的事件叙述，把三句 The … was … 改写成 has been + V-ed / had been due to / continue to 三种从句动词，让时间关系自己说话。
- 分隔插入练习：用
said in its statement, which has been + V-ed + [机构], that ...写一句校园投诉或建议。 - 指代检查练习：从你的作文里挑出一句含两个 which/that 从句的句子，标出每个从句的先行词，看是否需要改写或断句。
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