上篇我们用FT股市报道学了定语从句的三种基本写法。今天再深入一步:什么时候关系代词可以省略?
这个问题在批改中频繁出现——学生要么不敢省(全写 that/which),要么瞎省(该写的时候不写)。规则其实很简单。
FT原文选读
Kim Jong Un has issued a warning over food shortages in North Korea as the dictator urged political officials to improve agricultural production. The comments (that/which) he made as he presided over the ruling Workers’ Party central committee in Pyongyang, was the latest indication of strains on the North Korean economy.
——FT《金正恩就朝鲜粮食短缺发出警告》
注意这句话:The comments he made — 关系代词被省略了。为什么可以省?
规则一:关系代词作宾语时,可以省略
看这个对比:
| 关系代词角色 | 写法 | 能否省略 |
|---|---|---|
| 作宾语 | The comments (that) he made | ✅ 可省 |
| 作主语 | The volatility that rocked markets | ❌ 不可省 |
公式:
名词 + (that/which/who) + 主语 + 动词
当关系代词在从句中作宾语时,直接去掉。
❌ 学生初版
The book which I bought yesterday is very useful.
✅ 升级版
The book ∅ I bought yesterday is very useful.
💡 效果 去掉 which 后句子更简洁,这是母语者自然的写作方式。
考场例句:
The most important lesson (that) I learned from this experience is patience. (我从这次经历中学到的最重要一课是耐心。)
规则二:介词+which 时,不能省
这句话就不行:
The company introduced a new policy, against which many employees protested.
这里关系代词在介词之后(against which),不能省略。省略后变成:
✘ The company introduced a new policy, against many employees protested.
介词后面什么都不跟,语法错误。
对比练习:
| 句子 | 能否省 which/that |
|---|---|
| The topic (that) we discussed | ✅ 可省(作宾语) |
| The topic about which we talked | ❌ 不可省(介词后) |
| The issue (that) I wrote about | ⚠️ 可省(介词在句尾) |
第三种情况比较特殊——当介词放到从句末尾时,关系代词又可以省略了。这是口语和日常写作中的常见用法。
规则三:当先行词被修饰时,最好不省
如果先行词(被修饰的名词)后面有一个较长的插入语或者从句本身较短,保留关系代词会让句子更清晰。
原文:
Kim’s comments, made as he presided over the meeting, were the latest indication of strains on the North Korean economy that have been building for years.
这里的 that 不能省——因为从句主语是 that(指代 strains),它在从句中作主语。
给考场作文的实操建议
| 场景 | 建议 |
|---|---|
| 中学作文 | 95%的情况保留 that/which,安全第一 |
| 高中读后续写 | 写作宾语从句时,可以省,显得更自然 |
| 雅思大作文 | 限制性定语从句中作宾语时建议省,作文会更流畅 |
判断标准:关系代词后面紧跟着名词/代词(主语)吗?如果是,大概率是宾语从句,可以省。如果后面紧跟动词,那是主语从句,不能省。
额外技巧:定语从句 v.s. 分词短语
有时候,定语从句还可以进一步简化为分词短语:
| 原句 | 简化版 |
|---|---|
| The policy that was introduced last year | The policy introduced last year |
| Students who are preparing for exams | Students preparing for exams |
这是雅思7分的写法。但要注意:只有被动语态或进行时的定语从句才能这样简化。
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