Chause (分句) 是一組字,它好像sentence (句) 一般,都有著自己的動詞。
在上次的例子, “although I should not be eating it”, “where the tourists are standing” 和 “which defied its order” 都是一個clause。因為它在整句裏佔據了一個附屬的位置,所以在解釋文法時常被稱為 Subordinate Clause(附屬分句)。
Subordinate clause 有三種:分別作形容詞(adjective),形容動詞(adverb) 或 名詞(noun) 用:
Adjective clause (形容詞分句):
例子:
· We should buy ice cream that is fat-reduced.
(中):我們應買減脂的雪糕。
‘that is fat-reduced’是用以形容 ‘ice cream’
· London tower is around the corner where the tourists are standing.
(中):倫敦塔就在轉角那邊,就是旅客們站著那兒。
‘where the tourists are standing’ 是用以形容 ‘corner’
· The state government resumed its threat to those councils which defy its order.
(中):州政府重新向那些違背它指令的地區政府作出恐嚇。
‘which defy its order’是用以形容 ‘councils’
這些都是 ‘adjective clause’。
Adverb clause (形容動詞分句):
例子:
· I like eating ice cream where no one can see me.
(中):我喜歡在沒有人見到我的地方吃雪糕。
‘where no one can see me’是用以形容在哪裏 ‘eating ice cream’;
· The tourists are standing at the corner as if they have lost their way.
(中):旅客們站著在轉角那邊,就像迷失了方向的樣子。
‘as if they have lost their way’是用以形容怎樣 ‘standing at the corner’
· The state government resumed its threat to the councils when the councils defied its order.
(中):州政府是在那些地區政府違背它指令的時候向它們重新作出恐嚇。
‘when the councils defied its order’是用以形容幾時 ‘resumed its threat’
這些都是 ‘adverb clause’。
Noun clause (名詞分句):
(在句子裏 noun clause 可以被‘it’代替而仍是完整的一句)
例子:
· What they put into ice cream may not be too healthy for you.
(中):他們放進雪糕的東西也許不是對你太健康。
‘What they put into ice cream’就是 noun clause )。
· Where the tourists are standing is adjacent to the London Tower.
(中):旅客們站著那兒就是鄰近倫敦塔。
‘Where the tourists are standing’ 就是 noun clause。
· It is hard to understand why the councils defied the government’s order.
(中):真不易理解地區政府為什麽違背州政府的指令。
‘why the councils defied the government’s order’ 就是 noun clause。
這些都是 ‘noun clause’。