关系代词有以下这些: who 、 whom 、 whose 、 that 、 which 。
关系代词用来引导定语从句,在句中将从句和它所修饰的词连接起来。同时,关系代词又在从句中担任一个成分,如:
The girl who spoke is my best friend. 讲话的姑娘是我最好的朋友。( who 引导定语从句,修饰 the girl, who = the girl ,在从句中作主语。)
A mental patient is one whose mind is diseased. 精神病人是脑子有疾病 的人。( whose 引导定语从句,修饰 one ,在从句中, whose 作定语,修饰 mind。)
把它们称作关系代词是因为它们有关联作用。它们在句中引导的从句称作关系从句( relative clauses )。由于关系从句修饰名词或代词,故也称作定语从句( attributive clauses )。
(1) who 代表人,在从句中作主语( who 是主格); whom 也代表人,在从句中作宾语( whom 是 who 的宾格),在口语中常可用 who 代替,但如跟介词,则不能用 who 代替:
He is a good physician who cures himself. 能给自己看病的是好医生。
(谚语)
Then I telephoned the doctor whom Charles had recommended. 于是我给查尔斯推荐的医生打了电话。
I wanted to find someone with whom I could discuss music. 我想找一个能和我谈音乐的人。
( 2 )当在定语从句中作宾语时, whom 常会省略:
I’ve just met a lady (whom) I saw last week. 我刚才碰到一位我上星期见到过的女士。
The people( whom )you were talking to are Swedes. 刚才和你谈话的是瑞典人。
( 3 ) whose 表示“(某人)的”(是所有格,必须带名词,其本身有限定词的功能); whose 也可指动物或无生命的东西:
The woman whose umbrella you took is very angry about it. 那个雨伞被你拿走的女人对此很生气。
The house whose windows are broken is unoccupied. 那个窗户破了的房子没人住。
It was an island whose name I have forgotten. 这是一座岛,名字我忘了。
(1) that 可代表人或物,在从句中做主语或宾语,指人时相当于 who 或 whom ,作宾语时 that 常可省略; which 只能代表东西或动物,在从句中做主语、宾语或定语,当 which 在从句中作宾语时,常常可以省略:
Is he the man that /who sells dogs? 他就是卖狗的人吗?
They live in a house that /which was built 200 years ago. 他们住在一座两百年前盖的房子里。
Those books (that/which) you lent me were very useful. 你借给我的那些书很有用。
He lives in the house which /that is opposite ours. 他住在我们对面的那栋房子里。
That is the house (which/that) we built. 这就是我们盖的房子。
My father may have to go into hospital, in which case he won’t be going on
holiday. 我父亲可能需要住院,如果那样他就不去度假了。
( 2 ) which 还可在从句中作介词的宾语,在这种从句中,只有 which 可以紧跟介词, that 则不可以。
This is a subject about which we might argue for a long while.这是一个我们可能长时间争论的问题。
( 3 )在非限制性定语从句中, which 可以代表主句的一部分甚至全部,而不仅限于一个名词或代词, which 引导的从句用于修饰整个主句:
They rely on themselves, which is much better. 他们依靠自己,这就好多了。
He changed his mind, which made me very angry. 他改变了主意,这使我很生气。
(4) which 还可和不定式一起用:
She must have time in which to grow calm. 她需要有时间冷静下来。
He also had a revolver with which to defend himself. 他还有一支左轮手枪防身。