That、which的分別 - 古德明

That、which的分別 - 古德明

一位讀者問關係代名詞(relativepronoun)that和which的分別。這可分三點說明。

第一,that指事物、人物都可以,which則但指事物,例如:(1)Isawthemanthat/whomtheywerelookingfor(我看見他們要找的那個人)。(2)Thecakethatshebroughthometastednice(她帶回家的蛋糕很好吃)。第一句的that不可用which取代,第二句則改用which也可以。

第二,that之前不可用介系詞,which則可以。Thisisthehouse.Ilivedinitmanyyearsago(這幢房子,我多年前住過)這兩句,可用which接連:ThisisthehouseinwhichIlivedmanyyearsago。這一句的which不可改為that。不過,隨便一點的說法,會把in放在lived之後,那就可以用that了:Thisisthehouse(that/which)Ilivedinmanyyearsago。

第三,that字只可帶出界定子句(definingclause),which則可帶出界定或非界定(non-defining)子句,例如:(1)Whereisthechairthat/whichIboughtyesterday?(我昨天買的椅子在哪裏?)(2)Myschool,whichiswellestablished,boastsagoodlibrary(我的學校很具規模,圖書館藏書豐富)。第二句whichiswellestablished四字是非界定子句,所以不能用that。