都是逗號惹的禍

作者：陳仁禎（湖南）

來源：《第二課堂（高中版）》，2004年第9期（pp48-50)

有許多試題，由于同學們對句子結構分析不對，尤其是對句中的逗號判斷失誤，從而導致一些想當然的錯誤。本文例舉幾道典型試題，供同學們參考。

1. If a book is in English, _____ means slow progress for you.

A. as        B. which      C. what        D. that

此題容易誤選 A或B，想當然地根據空格前的逗號認為這是非限制性定語從句。這樣分析的同學，主要是忽略了前一句句首的 if。其實此題應選D，逗號前是一個條件狀語從句，逗號后是該狀語從句的主句，that 在此代表前文所述的情況，用作主句的主語。同樣地，下面幾題也應選 that，而不選 which：

(1) If he’s only interested in your looks, _____ just shows how shallow he is.

A. as        B. which      C. what        D. that

(2) If you want to go, _______is quite all right with me.

A. that       B. which       C. and it         D. so

(3) When I say two hours, _____ includes time for eating.

A. as        B. which      C. what        D. that

(4) If you want a double room , _____ will cost another ￡15.

A. as        B. which      C.  what       D. that

(5) If you have the money, _____ will be OK.

A. as        B. which      C. and it        D. that

下例也選 that 而不選 which，其中 that 表示“那”：

Unless I’m very much mistaken, ______ is my watch you’re wearing!

A. as        B. which      C. what        D. that

2. Not far from the school there was a garden, _____ owner seated in it playing chess with his little grandson every afternoon.

A. its       B. whose       C. which      D. that

此題很容易誤選B，許多同學想當然地認為句中逗號后是一個非限制性的定語從句，whose 在定語從句中用作定語修飾其后的名詞 owner。此分析從表面上看，似乎天衣無縫，但實質上是錯的，原因是空格后根本不是一個句子，因為它沒有謂語。盡管句中有兩個動詞（seated 和 playing），但它們都是非謂語動詞。也許有的同學會問，其中的 seated 不可用作謂語動詞嗎？不能。因為seat 用作動詞時，它總是及物的，其后要么接賓語，要么它就用于被動語態，所以若在 seated 前加上助動詞 is，則可以選擇B（當然若將 seated 改為 sitting，也應選擇B）。所以此題最佳答案選A。請再看一個類似的例子：

(1) He wrote a lot of novels, many of _____ translated into foreign languages.

A. it      B. them       C. which     D. that

(2) He wrote a lot of novels, many of _____ were translated into foreign languages.

A. it      B. them       C. which     D. that

第(1)題應選B，而不能選C，是因為句中的 translated 是過去分詞(非謂語動詞)，若選C，則該從句無謂語；第(2)題應選C，因為句中有謂語 were translated。再請看下面一例：

(3) He wrote a lot of novels, and many of _____ were translated into foreign languages.

A. it      B. them       C. which     D. that

此題與上面的第(2)題不同，兩句間多了一個并列連詞and，說明這是一個并列句，故應選B，則不能選C。

請做做以下三題(答案均為B)：

(1) There I met several people, two of _____ being foreigners.

A. which     B. them       C. whom      D. that

(2) There I met several people, two of _____ were foreigners.

A. which     B. whom       C. who      D. that

(3) There I met several people, and two of _____ were foreigners.

A. which     B. them       C. whom      D. that

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