从句引导词2026年9月22日·10 分钟阅读

宾语从句用 that 还是 what?遮住引导词一看便知

选 that 还是 what,不靠语感,靠一个两秒钟的动作:遮住引导词,把从句单独读一遍。成分齐全、句子站得住——用 that,它只做连接不翻译(I know that he came.);动词后面空了一个洞、缺主语或宾语——用 what,它等于 the thing(s) that,把洞填上(I know what he said. = He said something.)。中文的「那」和「什么」不给动词提要求,所以中国学习者造出 I know that he saidI know what he came 两类无痕错句。

作者: Raheel Ashraf

免费练习: 英语语法在线练习(含答案)

宾语从句是中国学生「感觉没错」的重灾区。错的两句——*I know that he said. 和 *I know what he came.——每个单词都拼写正确、时态无误、主谓一致满分,错只错在引导词与从句成分的接口上。而中文恰恰不提供这个接口的任何训练:「我知道他说了」合法,「我知道他来了」也合法,动词「说」缺不缺宾语,汉语从不强制你交代。


1

为什么中文大脑会在 that/what 上迷路

英语是形合语言:动词的「配价」要求在句面上必须留下可见的痕迹。say 是及物动词,说了就必须有「说的内容」,哪怕以 what 的形式出现;come 是不及物动词,来没来是一个完整事实,不需要任何零件补洞。中文把这两件事全交给语境:「他说了」和「他说了那件事」都成立,「说」后面那个洞在形态上不可见——于是中国学习者把中文句子逐字抬进英语时,产出 I know that he said.(洞没填)或 I know what he came.(凭空塞零件)。

两类错误各自的「病灶」可以写成两条公式。错误一:该 what 而用 that。从句动词及物却缺宾语:I know that he said.——英语里 said 后面必须有个东西,把独立问题 He said what? 嵌进宾语位置,what 随从句一起进场并回到空洞处:I know what he said. 错误二:该 that 而用 what。从句本身完整:I know what he came.——he came 主谓俱全,没有任何位置给 what 填充,只能用纯胶水 that(或直接省略):I know (that) he came.

顺带纠正一个常见误解:what 并不总对应中文的「什么」。在「我知道他说的话」里,what 对的是「所……的东西」——what he said = he said 的那些话。把 what 理解成疑问词「什么」,就会在陈述语境里怀疑它不该出现,转头误用 that。记住它的本质是 the thing(s) that:一个自带先行词的压缩结构。

遮住引导词测试:从句 He said 后面缺宾语,出现空洞,用 what 填充;从句 He came 成分齐全,不需要零件,只用 that 连接遮住引导词,单独读从句He said ______.动词 said 缺宾语 → 有个洞用 what 填洞I know what he said.遮住引导词,单独读从句He came.主谓齐全,句子站得住只用 that 连接(可不译)I know that he came.what = the thing(s) that —— 既连接,又在从句里担任成分that = 纯胶水 —— 只连接,不进从句领工资
一个测试动作,两类错句当场现形:从句有洞找 what,没洞用 that。

2

两步判断法:遮住引导词看成分

正式流程只有两步,快到一个念头的时间。第一步:把从句从主句里抠出来,去掉引导词,还原成独立句子。I know what he said. → 抠出 He said.——检查:及物动词 said 后面缺宾语,句子塌了一半。第二步:缺成分,就派能在从句里「领工资」的引导词进场(what/who/which);成分齐全,只派胶水 that(或省略)。He said 缺宾语 → I know what he said;He came 完整 → I know that he came。

用「回填检验」确认你选对了:what 句永远能拆回一个含 something 的独立句——I know what he said ⇄ He said something. 拆不出来的,就不该用 what。同理 who 回填人:I know who told the story ⇄ Someone told the story.(who 顶的是主语位);which 回填选项:I know which he chose ⇄ He chose (one of the three).

中文抠出的从句体检成品
我知道他说的话He said ___.(缺宾语)I know what he said.
我知道他来了He came.(完整)I know (that) he came.
我记得发生的事___ happened.(缺主语)I remember what happened.
我知道他要什么He wants ___.(缺宾语)I know what he wants.

注意第三行:what 也能顶主语位——I remember what happened.(what 就是从句主语,happened 没有主语会塌)。别把 what 背成「只填宾语的词」。同样合法的还有主语从句位置:What he said made everyone angry.(= The thing that he said...)——从句整体作主句主语时,内部缺口依然由 what 认领。


3

引导词地图:that、what、who、whether 全家族

把整张地图记成三个问题:①从句缺不缺成分?②缺的那个成分指事还是指人?③要不要对「是否」表态?按序作答,七类引导词各就各位。

引导词何时出场例句
that从句成分齐全,报告一个事实I believe (that) she is right.
what缺主语/宾语,指事:the thing(s) thatTell me what you need.
who(m)缺的成分指人I know who told them.(主语位)
which有限候选集里挑I can't say which design wins.
whether / if成分不缺,但对「是否成立」存疑I don't know whether he'll come.
when/where/how/why从句缺的是时间/地点/方式/原因状语I still remember how we found it.
whoever/whatever任指:任何…的人/事Give it to whoever needs it most.

whether/if 那一行连着一条黄金考点:宾语从句里的 I don't know whether he will come. 中 will 合法——因为 whether 从句不做时间/条件背景,与「主将从现」无关;被禁 will 的是「如果-if」的条件从句。两副面孔的完整鉴别流程见姊妹篇 主将从现。同时警惕胶水叠加:I know that what he said. 一个从句只发一张引导证,双引导词必删其一。

自测:遮住引导词,你选对了吗?

已作答:0 / 7

点击选项即刻判定并锁定。流程四步:抠从句 → 查成分 → 定引导词 → 验语序。

Q1.「我知道他说的话。」
Q2.「我相信他是对的。」
Q3.「我记得发生了什么。」
Q4.「你能告诉我厕所在哪吗?」
Q5.「他说的话让所有人都不高兴。」
Q6.「我不知道他会不会同意。」
Q7.「他问我要什么。」

还剩未答题目,点选即判。


4

陈述语序与时态呼应

选对引导词只是上半场;下半场是语序。宾语从句内部永远保持陈述语序:引导词 + 主语 + 谓语,疑问词原形不许倒装进门——I know what he wants. 而不是 I know what does he want. 判别诀窍:把从句翻译成中文时若需要「……吗?」的问句感,倒装仍在主句或句末问号上解决,从句内部纹丝不动。礼貌问句是重灾区:Could you tell me where the station is? 不是 where is the station——主句已承担疑问功能,从句再倒装就是重复问价。唯一「看起来没倒装」的合法情况:引导词本身就是从句主语(I know who broke the window.)。

下半场第二回合是时态呼应(backshift):主句为过去时,从句时态整体后移一档——He said that he was on his way.(原句 I am on my way.)I wondered what she wanted.(原句 What does she want?)两条铁例外:一是客观真理永不让步——The teacher explained that light travels faster than sound.;二是主句为现在/将来时,从句时态自由——I know what he will say tomorrow.

还有一个隐蔽接口:从句内部的谓语要与其自身主语一致,而不是与主句主语一致——I know what he wants.(三单 -s 挂在从句动词上);They believe that everyone has a chance. 这层「谁跟谁一致」正是 主谓一致避坑法则 处理的问题;从句首尾衔接是否使用并列连词、会不会触发成对连词病,则与 Because... So... 单天平法则 同源——长句的三处接口(引导词、语序、一致)各处都要单独验收。


5

that 何时可省、何时不可省

that 是引导词家族里唯一「可以隐身」的成员——因为它不进从句领工资,抽走后从句成分不受影响。口语与非正式写作里,I think / I hope / I believe / she said 一类高频动词后的 that 省略是常态:I hope you're right. / She said she'd be late. 但以下五个场景,请把 that 留在岗位上。

① 两个从句并列,第二个 that 不能省:She promised that she would review the file and that she would reply by Friday. 省掉第二个 that,and 会被读去并列宾语——结构当场改义。
② 省略引发歧义(garden path)时:I saw that the man left. 不写 that,I saw the man left 会被第一遍读成「我看见那个男人离开(的人)」,读到 left 才被迫回头重解析。
③ 动词与从句之间隔着插入成分时:I was told, after much hesitation, that the offer had expired. that 是锚,标记从句在状语之后仍要开张。
④ 介词之后:that 从句不能直接跟介词——不说 about that...,须换 the fact that 平台:She complained about the fact that the door was locked. 介词的宾语由 fact 顶替,that 全程在场。
⑤ 形式宾语 it:I take it that you agree. / I find it surprising that he passed. 谓语与从句之间隔着 it 这个占位符,that 是从句正式登场的门牌。

写作策略一句话可记:口语省 that 显自然,正式文体与长难句留 that 显清楚。考试语法填空里,若空格前后已是完整句子且无补成分的词义,填的就是 that(或其省略位不考);若从句动词后明显缺东西,留给 what/who 家族。


6

高频错句门诊

六张「处方」覆盖引导词、语序、是否三大家族的典型病例。每张处方都执行同一检查流程:抠从句 → 查成分 → 定引导词 → 验语序。

I know that he said.I know what he said.(said 缺宾语,what 进从句领工资)
I know what he came yesterday.I know that he came yesterday.(从句完整,what 无岗可上)
Tell me what is your name.Tell me what your name is.(从句陈述语序:引导词+主语+谓语)
I wonder that he will agree.I wonder whether/if he will agree.(wonder 要求「是否」义,that 报告已确定的事实,与「想知道」矛盾)
He asked what did I want.He asked what I wanted.(语序+时态呼应双重修正:不倒装,且主句过去时时态后移)
I believe that what he is honest.I believe that he is honest. / I believe what he says.(双引导词叠加:从句完整用 that,说「所信之言」才轮到 what)

每日十句「洞检」训练:读英文材料时遇到 know/say/think/wonder 等动词,就停下来抠它的从句、检查成分、报出引导词。两周之后,that/what 的选择会从「规则题」变成「条件反射」。写完的段落丢进 PromGee 免费英语语法检查器,它会识别及物动词缺宾语的从句与倒装语序错误,并给出中文解析。

练习提示:给「说/想/知道」写一张体检单

挑出你常用的五个「观点动词」:say, tell, think, know, wonder。给每个动词配一句 that 句、一句 what 句,贴在书桌前:I know that he came. / I know what he said. 两组句子读三遍,接口差异(有没有洞)就会以画面感沉淀下来。

再练「一洞一钉」改写:把疑问句直接改写成宾语从句——What does he want? → I know what he wants. Where is the station? → Could you tell me where the station is? 改写时只做三个动作:删问号、拆倒装、挂主句。这是中考高考与雅思写作通用的句式升级器。

最后记住 that 的省略原则:拿不准就保留。多一个 that 从不算错,少一个 that 可能改义。

速查总结
从句体检结果引导词方案锚句
成分齐全,陈述事实that(宾语从句可省)I know (that) he came.
缺主语或宾语(指事)what = the thing(s) thatI know what he said.
成分齐全,但问「是否」whether / ifI don't know whether he'll come.
引导词就位之后从句永远陈述语序Tell me what your name is.

一句话版本:遮住引导词读从句——句子站得住,胶水 that;动词漏了底,what 来补位;对真假存疑,换 whether/if;进门之后,全员陈述语序。

常见问题

一句话概括 that 和 what 的区别?

that 是胶水,what 是胶水加零件。引导从句而自己在从句里不担任任何成分的,是 that——从句拿掉引导词仍是完整句子(I know that he came.);必须在从句里顶一个主语或宾语位置的,是 what——它等于 the thing(s) that,把从句里那个「空洞」捡回来填上(I know what he said. = He said something.)。

口语里 that 是不是永远可以省?

不是。宾语从句的 that 在动词紧跟从句时确实常省(I think he's right),但四类位置建议保留:一是动词与从句之间插了状语或其他成分时;二是两个 that 从句并列、第二个 that 不能省(She said that she was tired and that she would rest);三是省略后句子可能被重新断句、产生歧义时(I saw that the man left);四是 that 从句不直接跟在介词后,需要 the fact that 出面时,that 更是全勤。

whether 和 if 都能表「是否」,什么时候只能用 whether?

四个场景只认 whether:句首引导主语从句或让步从句(Whether he comes is not important / Whether or not you agree...);紧跟介词(It depends on whether...);直接接不定式(I haven't decided whether to go);与 or not 紧邻(whether or not)。其余宾语从句位置两者通用,if 偏口语。另外别把「是否-if」和「如果-if」搞混——前者是宾语从句,will 合法,详见主将从现一篇。

what 和 which 怎么选?

看有没有明确的候选集合。范围敞开、内容未知用 what(I know what he wants——他要什么没有预设清单);范围收窄、从若干选项中挑一个用 which(There are three models; I know which he chose)。which 后面可直接挂名词:which book he bought;what 挂名词时问的是「什么样的」(What book did he buy? 他买了本什么样的书),语气是探询内容而非在选项中挑选。

引导词自己就是从句主语时,语序怎么排?

不用排——它本来就在主语位上,正常陈述顺序即可:I know what happened. / She asked who told you. 这里 what、who 就是从句主语,后面直接跟谓语,看起来像「没倒装」,因为疑问词从未离开主语位置。真正的坑是从句主语另有其人时:I know what he wants,绝不能写成倒装的 what does he want——嵌入句里没有助动词倒装的容身之处。

你的从句里,动词是不是还漏着底?

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参考来源

本指南基于权威的英语语法参考资料编写。如需深入学习,请参考以下来源。