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 yearThe policy introduced last year
Students who are preparing for examsStudents preparing for exams

这是雅思7分的写法。但要注意:只有被动语态进行时的定语从句才能这样简化。


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