读《金融时报》学英文写作：定语从句进阶——「介词+which」的四种考场用法
你的定语从句卡在哪一步？
改作文时常见一幕：学生知道定语从句是加分项，但写出来永远是 which 开头的那一种——
The problem which we should pay attention is serious.
介词 to 丢了，which 前面不知道能不能放介词，于是绕开。绕开的结果是：长句写不长，信息塞不进去，作文卡在”初中水平”。
今天用《金融时报》报道英国发现新冠新变体的一篇稿子，拆解 「介词+which」 的四种写法。这一结构是高考、雅思写作区分度最高的一类定语从句——会用的学生，句子一下就有了”新闻感”。
FT原文（示范素材）
“We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant,” Mr Hancock added. “But no matter its cause we have to take swift and decisive action… to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out.”
Although the Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-19 is always mutating, virologists said only one variant has previously been detected that changed the nature of infection.
英国卫生大臣汉考克补充说：“我们不知道这些病例在多大程度上是由这种变体造成的。但不管原因是什么，我们都必须迅速采取果断行动……在展开疫苗接种工作的同时控制住这种致命疾病。“尽管导致新冠肺炎的SARS-CoV-2病毒一直在发生变异，但病毒学家们表示，此前只发现有一种变体改变了感染的性质。
四个「介词+which」技巧
技巧一：the extent to which —— 把”程度”写进名词
结构公式： the extent to which + 完整句子
原文的 the extent to which this is because of the new variant 意思是”这种变体在多大程度上是感染上升的原因”。学生只会写：
❌ 学生初版
We don’t know how much the new virus caused the rise.
✅ 升级版
We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant.
💡 效果
how much 是口语化的程度副词；the extent to which 把”程度”变成一个名词短语，后面接完整句子——信息密度立刻不同。考试里最常用的三个固定搭配是：
the extent to which …（……的程度） the degree to which …（……的程度） the rate at which …（……的速度）
考场模板：
The extent to which technology improves our lives is still debated.
技巧二：介词从哪来？—— 从动词/形容词搭配里找
介词+which 里的介词不是乱放的，它来自先行词在从句中的搭配：
- depend on → the plan on which I depend
- be interested in → the topic in which I am interested
- be responsible for → the accident for which he is responsible
❌ 学生初版
The problem which I depend is serious.
✅ 升级版
The problem on which I depend is serious.
💡 效果
学生丢介词，是因为从句没写完整；升级版先把从句写全（I depend on the problem），再把介词提到 which 前。判断方法是”倒着找搭配”：从句里的动词或形容词后面原来接什么介词，就把它提前。
技巧三：介词留句尾还是提前？
口语习惯把介词留在句尾（which I depend on），书面语倾向提前（on which I depend）。考场作文里，提前更显正式：
- 口语：the city which I grew up in
- 书面：the city in which I grew up
❌ 学生初版
This is the school which I study at every day.
✅ 升级版
This is the school at which I study every day.
💡 效果
介词提前后，at which 与 where 可互换（at which = where）——这正是下一篇关系副词的内容。介词+which 是关系副词的高级替身，两个结构打通，长句的选择就多了。
技巧四：分隔式定语从句（文中彩蛋）
原文还有一句特别值得模仿：
only one variant has previously been detected that changed the nature of infection
定语从句 that changed... 没有紧跟在先行词 variant 后面，中间隔了 has previously been detected——这是新闻英语常见的”分隔式定语从句”，让句子有悬念感。
❌ 学生初版
Only one change was found. The change changed the situation.
✅ 升级版
Only one change has previously been identified that altered the situation.
💡 效果
两句并一句，先行词与从句被谓语隔开，句子节奏更紧凑，读起来像真正的新闻报道。
写作建议
- 先写对，再提前：先写出
which + 完整从句，确认介词搭配，再决定是否把介词提前。 - 固定搭配直接背：
the extent to which、the degree to which、the rate at which三件套，考场直接套用。 - 写完后自查：数一数作文里的 which——如果全是 which 开头，说明你还没用上介词提前，把其中一到两个升级为「介词+which」。
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