读《金融时报》学英文写作:定语从句 vs 同位语从句——「that」的两种身份
你的 that 用对了吗?
批改作文时,最常见的语法误判之一:学生看到 名词 + that + 句子,条件反射写成定语从句。比如写 the news that...,老师问:这是定语从句还是同位语从句?答不上来。
其实 that 有”两种身份”:
- 定语从句:that 在从句里充当成分(主语/宾语),从句本身”缺一块”
- 同位语从句:that 只是连接词,从句本身是完整的,解释前面名词的内容
今天用《金融时报》美国大选夜的报道,把这两种身份一次讲清。
FT原文(示范素材)
Mr Biden was leading in the key swing state of Arizona — which Mr Trump won in 2016 — and expressed hopes that he was heading to victory once postal ballots had been counted in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
While some Democrats expressed concern that Mr Trump was doing better than polls predicted, others called for patience…
The close race raises the spectre of the kind of legal battle that occurred in the 2000 presidential election, particularly because Mr Trump has repeatedly made baseless allegations that mail-in ballots are rife with corruption and fraud.
拜登在关键摇摆州亚利桑那州领先(2016年特朗普在该州胜出),并表示他有望在威斯康星州、密歇根州和宾夕法尼亚州的选票统计结束后取得胜利。
虽然一些民主党人对特朗普的表现好于民调预测表示了担忧,但其他人呼吁耐心等待……
这场势均力敌的大选让人想起2000年总统选举中发生的那种法律大战,尤其是因为特朗普一再毫无根据地指控邮寄选票充斥着腐败和舞弊。
两个判定技巧
技巧一:看 that 后面完不完整
结构公式:
- 定语从句:
名词 + that + 缺成分的句子(that 充当从句主语/宾语) - 同位语从句:
抽象名词 + that + 完整句子(that 不充当任何成分)
原文里 legal battle that occurred:that 是 occurred 的主语,从句缺主语 → 定语从句。
而 hopes that he was heading to victory:that 后面 he was heading to victory 是完整句子,that 没有充当任何成分,只是把 hopes 的内容引出来 → 同位语从句。
❌ 学生初版
The news that he told me made me happy.
学生把它当成同位语从句去分析,结果 that 在从句里是 told 的宾语,这其实是定语从句。
✅ 升级版(判定)
The news that he won the election made me happy.
he won the election 是完整句子,that 不充当成分,解释 news 的内容 → 同位语从句。
💡 效果
同一句式两种身份,判定关键只有一个:that 后面缺不缺成分。缺 → 定语;不缺 → 同位语。
技巧二:试换 which
结构公式: 定语从句的 that 可以换成 which;同位语从句的 that 不能换成 which。
the legal battle that occurred→the legal battle which occurred✅(定语)hopes that he was heading to victory→hopes which he was heading to victory❌(同位语,which 进去没位置)
❌ 学生初版
I don’t believe the idea which he will come.
✅ 升级版
I don’t believe the idea that he will come.
💡 效果
the idea 的内容是”他会来”,that 从句完整,是同位语从句——不能用 which。这一招在语法填空和改错里几乎百发百中。
技巧三:记住同位语名词家族
原文三个同位语从句用的名词是 hopes / concern / allegations。这类”内容型”抽象名词后接 that 时,90% 是同位语从句:
hope, concern, allegation, claim, fact, belief, idea, suggestion, news, warning
❌ 学生初版
Many people believe that education is important. This belief is true.
✅ 升级版
The belief that education is important is widely held.
💡 效果
把 believe that 的动词句式升级为 the belief that 的名词句式,句子立刻有了书面感——这是雅思写作高分段的经典名词化手法,也是同位语从句最常见的考场用法。
写作建议
- 先判身份再下笔:写完
名词 + that的句子,问自己 that 在从句里当什么——当成分是定语,不当成分是同位语。 - 同位语从句优先用内容型名词:the fact that / the belief that / the concern that,比 I think / I believe 高级得多。
- 改错自查:看到 which 出现在抽象名词后,先怀疑——
the idea which + 完整句基本必错。
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