连接性关系代词为who,whom,whose,which。逗号的用法跟非限定从句中的用法相同。连接性关系从句不修饰它们前面的名词,而是继续往下叙述。它们通常位于主要动词的宾语之后:
I told Peter,who said it wasnt his business.
我告诉了彼得,他说这事与他无关。
或者位于介词+名词之后:
I threw the ball to Tom,who threw it to Ann.
我把球扔给汤姆,他又把球扔给安。
这些关系代词通常可以由and/but+he/she等取代:
I threw the ball to Tom and he threw it
I told Peter,but he said
所以,一个处于这个位置上的从句究竟是非限定性从句还是连接性从句有时很难区分。但学习者没有必要做出这种判断,因为这两种形式基本上是相同的。
下面就连接性关系从句再举若干例子:
He drank beer,which made him fat.相当于:
He drank beer,and it made him fat.
他喝啤酒,因此发胖了。
We went with Peter,whose car broke down before we were halfwaythere.相当于:
We went with Peter but his car broke down before we were halfway there.
我们和彼得一起去的,但是还没走到半路他的车子就抛了锚。
如第80节所述,可以用one/two等或few/several/some等+of+whom/which结构:
I bought a dozen eggs,six of which broke when I dropped the box.
我买了一打鸡蛋,六个在我失手掉了盒子时摔碎了。
He introduced me to his boys,one of whom offered to go with me.
他把我介绍给他的男孩们,有一个男孩子自愿提出和我一起去。
The lorry crashed into a queue of people,several of whom had to have hospital treatment.
卡车冲进了一队人之中,其中有几个不得不住院治疗。
which也可以代表整个从句:
The clock struck thirteen,which made everyone laugh.
时钟敲了13下,这使大家都笑了起来。
He refused to do his share of the chores,which annoyed the others.
他拒绝干他那一份活儿,这使其他的人很恼火。(他的拒绝使他们恼火。)
The rain rattled on the roof all night,which kept us awake.
雨点整夜敲打着屋顶,这使我们未能入睡。
She was much kinder to her youngest child than she was to the others, which made the others jealous.
她对最小的孩子要比对其他的孩子疼爱得多,这引起了别的孩子的妒忌。