定语从句是中学英语学习的主要语法内容之一，也是高考英语的常考知识点。在历年的高考试题中，相对集中地考查了非限定性定语从句、关系代（副）词的用法、语义重复、主谓一致及“介词＋ which（ whom）”等有关定语从句的知识。下面以近十年来全国及上海高考题为例，谈谈定语从句的主要考点及其热点问题。
一、非限定性定语从句。非限定性定语从句是出现频率最高的考点， 99年和 2000年都有这类考题。
1．引导非限定性定语从句时，只能用 which（不用 that）。例如（ MET 91）：
She heard the terrible noise，____ brought her heart into her mouth．
A． it B． which C． this D． that
答案是 B， which指代前面的先行词 noise，引导非限定性定语从句，并在从句中作主语。
2．有时引导词 which可以指前面整个句子的含义。例如（ NMET 2000）：
Dorothy was always spe aking highly of her role in the play，____， of course， made the others unhappy．
A． who B． which C． this D． what（ Key： B）
3．除 which外，还可用 when， where， who（ m）等关系代、副词引导非限定性定语从句。例如：
Finally I decided to stay in Chong qing， where I finished my college study．
4．在限定性定语从句中作宾语时，引导词可以省略，但引导非限定性定语从句的连词不能省。例如：
He was eager to go to the hospital to see his stepmother， whom he loved as his own mother．
5．置于句首时，非限定性定语从句只能用 as引导，而置于句末时 as和 which都可用。例如（上海高考题 94）：
____ is known to all， China will be an____ and powerful country in 20 or 30 years'time．
A． That； advancing B． This； advanced C． As； advanced D． It； advancing
答案是 C。但是当非限定性定语从句是否定意义时，只能用 which引导。例如（ NM ET 94）：
The weather turned out to be very good， was more than we could expect．
A． what B． which C． that D． if
答案是 B，句中的 more than的本意为“超过”，“超过了我的预料”即为“我没有预料到”。这里不能用 as代替 which。
二、先行词是表地点或时间的名词时，引导词的选择。例如（ NMET 96）：
After living in Paris for 50 years he returned to the small town____ he grew up as a child．
A． which B． where C． that D． when
答案是 B，因为表地点的先行词 the small town在从句中作状语；当表地点的先行词在从句中作主、宾、表语时，则要用 that或 which引导定语从句。例如：
① I visited the country which／ that had been bombed by the US-led NATO（美国为首的北约） a month before．
② I shall never forget the years____ I lived in the countryside with the farmers，____ has a great effect on my life．（上海高考题 94）
A． that； which B． when； which C． which； that D． when； who（ Ke y： B）
③ I'll never forget the ye ars that／ which I spent with my cousin in Australia．
先行词 the years在第②句中作时间状语，在第③句中作 spe nt的宾语，此时引导词 that／ which可省略。
三、“介词＋关系代词（ which／ whom）”引导的定语从句。例如（上海高考题 95）：
In the office I neve r seem to have time until after 5： 30 pm____， many people have gone home．
A． whose time B． that C． on which D． by which time
答案是 D， by which time即 by“ after 5： 30”“到五点三十分以后”。介词的选择，取决于这个介词与先行词或从句之间的关系。又如：
Lei Feng， from whom we have once learned a lot， is now an example to the soldiers of West Point Military School（西点军校） of America．
关系代词前的介词 from，与从句的谓语动词 le arn构成习惯表达 le arn from（向……学习）。
四、语义的重复。例如（上海高考题 98）：
He made another wonderful discovery，____ of great importance to science．
A． which I think is B． which I think it is C． which I think it D． I think is
答案是 A。选项 B重复了宾语 it，因为关系代词 which是 think的逻辑宾语；此外，引导非限定性定语从句的连词不能省略，故选项 D也不对。
五、“介词＋ whom”引导的定语从句与 who／ whom引导的宾语从句作介词宾语时的区别。试比较：
It was a matter of____ would take the position．（上海高考题 96）
A． who B． whoever C． whom D． whomever
Kennedy and Johnson， both of were murde red in their terms， once coworked as president and vice - president．
A． who B． whoever C． whom D． whomever
答案分别为 A和 C。前者是宾语从句， who引导的整个宾语从句作介词 of的宾语，同时 who在从句中作主语，所以不能用 whom引导。后者是定语从句， whom作介词 of的宾语（所以不能用 who引导），构成介、宾结构，作 both的定语，而 both才是定语从句的主语。
六、定语从句中的主谓一致问题。试比较：
The Oscar is the only one of the film prizes____ offered to any Chinese actor or actress by far．
The Oscar is one of the film prizes____ offered to any Chinese actor or actress by far．
A． which is on B． that have not been C． that has not D． that has not been
答案分别是 D和 B。前一例的先行词是 the only one，且指代它的引导词在从句中作主语，故从句的谓语动词必须用单数；又因先行词 one被 only修饰，所以只能用 that引导。当 one没有被 the only或 the very等修饰时，则介词 of后面的 the film prize s是先行词，从句中的谓语动词就必须用复数，而且引导词既可用 that也可用 which（第二例）。总之，当引导词在句子中作主语时，谓语动词的单、复数形式应该与该主语保持一致。
