英语讲义【83】容易犯错的形容词从句

　　在三种英语从句中，名词从句与副词从句用得较多，错误也较少。形容词从句用得较少，但却最易犯错，尤其是下列四种错法：

　　㈠重复形容词中的宾语。例如：

　　*① The essay which John wrote it yesterday got a good grade.

　　*② Do you know the name of the man whom the police are looking for him?

　　在①里的形容词从句中的it和②里的him都是重复的宾语，因为这两个宾语已经由关系代词which和whom接管了。因此，it和him是多余的，必须去掉。

　　㈡关系代词或关系副词不对。例如：

　　*③ This is the dog who ate up the food.

　　*④ Do you know the time which we must resume work?

　　③里的关系代词who和④里的which都错。③里的先行词是一种动物，关系代词里which或that才对。④里的先行词是时间，应该用关系副词when才可。

　　㈢形容词从句修饰的对象不符。例如：

　　*⑤ Malcolm finished the work and then left the office which was well-planned.

　　这里的形容词从句which was well-planned，应该修饰名词 the work，不是the office，因此犯了修饰的对象不符之错。最容易的改正方法，是使这个从句紧扣在先行词the work后面，即：

　　⑥ Malcolm finished the work which was well-planned and then left the office.

　　这样的改正虽然符合语法，但句子显得头重脚轻，失去平衡；对是对，但是不好。我建议重整从句，以臻既对且好之境。试比较 7（a）, （b）和（c）：

　　⑦a. Malcolm left the office after he had finished the work which was well-planned.

　　b. Malcolm left the office after having finished the work which was well-planned.

　　c. Malcolm finished the well-planned work and then left the office.

　　三句中，⑦（c）一气呵成，短小精悍，是上选。此外，⑦（c）把形容词从句节缩为合成形容词（compound adjective），使句子简练有力。这点足以证明节缩句的好处。关于节缩方法，以后再谈。在了解节缩法之前，千万不要随便尝试，以免犯错。例如： *⑧ A sentence is made up of a subject and a predicate is called a simple sentence.

　　⑧里的is made up of a subject and a predicate是形容词从句which is made up of a subject and a predicate的节缩体，但是错了。

　　根据形容词从句的缩略规则，如果形容词从句是被动式的话，就要把关系代词和助动词be一齐去掉：

　　⑨ Do you like the man who was introduced to you yesterday? Do you like the man introduced to you yesterday?

　　⑩ Please fill in each of the blanks which are provided below. Please fill in each of the blanks provided below.

　　⑧里的关系代词不见了，但是助动词is还在，莫怪整句读起来，有点不顺口；因此要改一改；

　　╆ A sentence made up of a subject and a predicate is called a simple sentence.