“which” 前是否加逗号 vs. “that”:规则、示例与清晰写作技巧
总结
“Which” 和 “That” 有何不同?
写作者有时难以判断何时用 which 或 that。两个词都能引出新从句,但不可互换。正确选择取决于语法功能。
限制性从句限定或定义含义。
非限制性从句添加可省略的信息,不影响核心含义。
that → 限制性、定义性、必要从句
which → 非限制性、非定义性、附加从句(通常前有逗号)
掌握区别有助于写出更清晰、紧凑、专业的句子。
为何重要?
区分 which 与 that 不仅是语法细节,更关乎清晰度、精确度与读者理解。
1. 用错词或语法会改变句意。
限制性从句不仅添加信息,还改变名词所指。用错词可能让读者困惑,甚至扭曲原意。
2. 学术、专业、新闻与商务写作均有此要求。
大学、期刊、商业体例指南(包括《纽约时报》)遵循美国正式标准,强烈建议:
that 用于限制性从句
which 用于非限制性从句
3. 提升可读性。
正确使用从句让读者更易逻辑地处理复杂信息,在技术、学术与正式文本中尤为关键。
何时用 “Which” vs. “That”
以下简单规则与示例说明何时用 which 或 that。
1. 限制性(必要/定义)从句用 that
限制性从句限定或指明名词,去掉后句意改变。
示例:
The laptop that you ordered is out of stock.
The prize that I won was $100.
The team that arrives last will be disqualified.
2. 非限制性(附加/非定义)从句用 which —— 加逗号
非限制性从句可省略,不影响句意。
示例:
The laptop, which you ordered, is out of stock.
The prize, which I won, was $100.
The team, which arrived last, was disqualified.
3. 用 which 进行解释或澄清
想添加描述性细节或评论时,只能用 which。
示例:
He was fired, which was shocking.
The results were delayed, which caused problems.
4. 用 that 定义类别或类型
句子陈述特定类别时,用 that。
示例:
Foods that contain flour must be labeled as such.
Items that contain gold must be x-rayed.
5. 用 which 指代整个前述从句
想对整个句子发表评论时,用 which。
示例:
She collaborated with the enemy, which is shocking.
The pronunciation was misheard, which caused confusion.
6. 英式英语中,which 可用于限制性从句
英式风格较宽松,允许在限制性从句中无逗号使用 which。
示例(英式):
The book which won this year’s prize is brilliant.
The team which performed best ultimately won.
然而,在美式风格中,相同句子始终优先用 that。
“Which” vs. “That” 句例
以下示例展示限制性与非限制性从句如何因选词不同而改变含义。
限制性(that)
The dogs that are at the shelter need new homes.
The cars that are recalled need to be repaired.
The email that you sent had the wrong link.
非限制性(which)
The dogs, which are at the shelter, need new homes.
The cars, which are recalled, need to be repaired.
The email, which you sent, had the wrong link.
(暗示所有狗都需要新家。)
(暗示所有车都需要修理。)
(额外说明发件人。)
“Which” 与相似概念对比
概念 | 何时使用 | 逗号? | 示例 |
|---|---|---|---|
that | 限制性/定义性从句 | ❌ 无 | The laptop that she owns is new. |
which | 非限制性/非定义/附加从句 | ✅ 有 | The laptop, which she bought yesterday, is new. |
who | 指人 | 非限制性有;限制性无 | The professor who greeted me is teaching English. |
whose | 所有格(人或物) | 无 | The passenger whose phone rang was annoyed. |
where | 指地点 | 无 | The restaurant where we had dinner is closed. |
常见错误与写作技巧
❌ 错误 1:美式英语中 which 前无逗号
修正:加逗号或改用 that。
错误:The rule which governs the award is strict.
正确:The rule that governs the award is strict.
❌ 错误 2:that 用于非限制性/附加从句
错误:The book that I borrowed yesterday, is great.
正确:The book, which I borrowed yesterday, is great.
❌ 错误 3:正式/学术/专业写作中滥用 which
学术体例多数限制性从句倾向用 that。
同一份文档需保持一致。
✔ 写作技巧
● 句子需要该从句——用 that。
● 抽出从句:若句子仍通顺,用 which。
● 务必检查标点——往往是逗号决定哪个词正确。
● 英式风格较宽松,但清晰至上。
结论
“Which” 与 “that” 虽小,合理使用却是清晰、规范写作的重要一环。
that 用于限制性、必要信息;which(带逗号)用于附加、非必要细节。掌握这一区别,助你写出更专业、准确、易读的句子——无论学术论文、商务邮件、报告还是博客内容。
遵循本指南的规则与示例,每次都能选对词。
