what引导的名词性从句的用途——兼论what从句作插入语与插入句中的which从句的区别，本文主要内容关键词为：从句论文,词性论文,句中论文,用途论文,区别论文，此文献不代表本站观点，内容供学术参考，文章仅供参考阅读下载。
由what引导的名词性从句有七种用途：它可以表示疑问、感叹、泛指或特指，表达“正如／犹如……”或“尽可能多”的意义，并可用作插入语。
1．表示疑问
what引导的名词性从句表示疑问时，是由特殊疑问句转化而来的，此时的what是疑问代词，用作连接代词。例如：
I wonder what made him do it.我不知道是什么使得他做了这件事。（该名词性从句由特殊疑问句“What made him doit ?”转化而来）
2．表示感叹
what引导的名词性从句表示感叹时，是由感叹句转化而来的。例如：
I don't know what a naughty boy he is．我不知道他是那么淘气的男孩。（该名词性从句由感叹句“What a naughty boy he is!”转化而来）
3．表示泛指
what表示泛指时可以泛指某一个人或事物，也可以泛指任何事物或者“凡是……的人”，此时的what是关系代词。例如：
A modern city has been set up in what(=a land that)was a wasteland ten years ago．一座现代化的城市已经在十年前的一块荒地上建立起来了。
You may choose what worker(=whatever worker or any worker that)you like．你喜欢哪个工人就挑哪个。
You may say what(=whatever or anything that)you like．你可以畅所欲言。
4．表示特指
what表示特指时既能特指这／那个人／事物，又能特指这／那些人／事物，也能特指所有的人／事物。例如：
He is no longer what(=the man that)he used to be．他再也不是以前那个样子了。
I told him what(=the thing/things that)we should do next．我告诉他我们下一步该做的事。
When Della reached home she looked at what(=the hair that)was left of her poor hair and started to work on it.德拉回到家，看着她剩下的可怜的头发，开始整理起来。
He deserves it,and for the sake of my love．forget what promise(=the promise that)you made to your wife．他应该得到它，看在我对你的爱上，忘记对你妻子的承诺吧。
She gave him what money(=all the money)she had,although she did not have much．虽然她没有多少钱，但她还是把自己所有的钱都给了他。
注：当what表示特指时，常与few或little搭配，形成what few（仅有的几个）或what little（仅有的一点儿）组合。此时，what few/little=the few/little that。例如：
What few friends(=The few friends that)she has are out of the country．她仅有的几个朋友都在国外。
She managed to save what little morley(=the little money that)she could out of her wages to help her brother．她设法从自己的工资中省下仅有的一点钱来帮助弟弟。
5．表达“正如／犹如……”
此用法常见于句型“A is to B what X is to Y．”。此时的what相当于as many/much，常可用as替换。例如：
Air is to us what water is to fish．空气对于我们犹如水对于鱼。
Two is to four what/as four is to eight．二比四犹如四比八。
6．表示“尽可能多”
what表示尽可能多的意思时等于as many/much…as。例如：
I will give you what help(=as much help as)I can．我会尽力帮助你。
7．用作插入语
what引导的名词性从句作插入语时常用来引起下文、补充上文或承上启下。上文或下文的内容常表达人的喜、怒、哀、乐等感情上的事情。常见的此类插入语有：
what delights/annoys/worries/surpises…sb．(most)…（［最］令人高兴／烦恼／担心／吃惊的是……）；what is more surprising…（更令人惊奇的是……）；what was worse…（更糟糕的是……）；what is more important…（更重要的是……）；what is better still（更好的是，尤其）；what is remarkable（惊人的是）；what's even more certain（更确切地说）；(and)what's more（况且，而且，此外，还有，更重要的是，更严重的是，更有甚者）。其位置常在句首，也可在句中。例如：
What excites me most(=To my great excitement)，Shenzhou Ⅵ has been sent up successfully.最令我兴奋的是神州六号发射成功。
What was even more ccrtain,he didn't speak at the meeting．更确切地说，他没在会议上发言。
He attended the contest and what is more surprising,won a gold medal．他参加了比赛，更令人惊奇的是他赢得了金牌。
She was born in a rich family;what was better still,some of her relatives were famous scholars．她家里有钱，尤其是有些亲戚是著名学者。
These detergents are environmentally friendly,what's more,they're relatively cheap.这些洗涤剂既环保，又相对便宜。
下面是what名词性从句作插入语和插入句中的which从句的区别。
(1)what名词性从句可位于句首或句中，一般不位于句末。which从句不可位于句首，只能位于句中或句末。
(2)what名词性从句位于句首或句中时常表示某种情态或态度。which从句位于句中或句末时用以指代位于其前的先行词或先行句，它的性质是非限制性定语从句。
(3)which从句能表示递进关系，意为“（而／其实／实际上）这／这一点”，相当于and that/this/it；或表示转折关系，相当于but that/this/it，意为“可是这／这一点”。下面举几个插入句中的which从句的例子，可以与上面作插入语的what名词性从句比较。
York,which I visited last year,is a nice cold city.约克是一座美丽和寒冷的城市，去年我去过。
—Whose overcoat is it?这是谁的大衣？
—Maybe it's Julia's．She likes to wear,which was very uncommon in this small country,a bright red overcoat．也许是Julia的。她喜欢穿鲜红色的大衣，这种衣服在这个小乡村很罕见。（which从句置于被修饰词的前面，指代“a bright red overcoat”）
If,which seldom happens,he would repent,he would be a good boy．=If he would repent,he would be a good boy,which seldom happens．如果他愿意忏悔，他会是个好孩子，可是，这样的情形很罕见。（which从句置于句中，指代整个句子，即“If he would repent,he would be a good boy．”）
The meeting was put off which(=and that/this/it)was exactly what we wanted，会议被推迟了，这正是我们所希望的。（which从句置于句末，指代整个主句，表示递进关系）
John said he'd been working in the office for an hour,which(=and that/this/it)was true．约翰说他在办公室工作一个小时了，这是真的。（which从句置于句末，指代主句的部分内容，即宾语从句的内容，表示递进关系）
I asked him to lend me his bike,which he did(=and he did so)．我请他把自行车借给我，他就借给我了。（which指代主句的部分内容，表示递进关系）
She was very patient towards the children,which(=but...so)her husband seldom was．她对待孩子很有耐心，可是她丈夫却很少如此耐心。（which指代主句中表语的内容，表示转折关系）
Her sister has become a lawyer,which(=and...so)she wanted to be．她姐姐已经当上了律师，而律师这个职业是她以前所向往的。（which指代主句中表语部分的a lawyer，表示递进关系）
注：在非正式的文体中或紧跟在直接引语之后，which还可以大写，用来引导一个句子，指代前句的整个内容。例如：
He was fined $500．which we all thought served him right．他被罚款500美元，我们都认为他活该。
She said,“I've done my best．”Which was true．她说：“我已尽力了。”她确实尽力了。