A主语
用which或that,而which较正式:
This is the picture which/that cansed such a sensation.
这就是那部哄动一时的电影。
The stairs which/that lead to the cellar are rather slippery.
通向地窖的楼梯相当滑。
(另参见下面B。)
B动词的宾语
用which,that或干脆省略关系代词:
The car which/that I hired broke down.或:
我租用的那辆小汽车抛锚了。
The car I hired
一般在all,everything,little,much,none,no,由no构成的复合词及形容词的最高级形式之后极少用which,而常用that。假如这个关系代词是动词的宾语时也可省略:
All the apples that fall are eaten by the pigs.
掉在地上的苹果都让猪吃了。
This is the best hotel(that) I know.
这是我所了解的最好的餐馆。
C介词的宾语
规范的结构是介词+which,但一般都把介词移到从句的末尾,用关系代词which,that或干脆省去关系代词:
The ladder on which I was standing1 began to slip.
我脚下的梯子开始向下滑动。或:
The ladder which/that I was standing on began to slip.
The ladder I was standing on began to slip.
D所有格
可以用whose+从句这种结构,但一般是用with+短语这种结构来代替它:
a house whose walls were made of glass用玻璃做墙的房屋
a house with glass walls(译文同上)
E关系副词
用when,where,why。
注意:when可以代替用于指时间的in/on which:
the year when(=in which)he was born他生的那一年
the day when(=on which)they arrived他们到达的那一天
where可以代替用于指地址的in/at which:the hotel/where(=in/at which) they were staying他们当时住的旅店why可代替for which:
The reason why he refused is
他拒绝的原因是
when,where和why有这种使用方法时叫做关系副词。