初学者在使用定语从句时，有个经常犯的错误就是分不清是定语从句还是其他从句。请看下面的题目：
—Is this room __________ he lived in last year? —Is this the room __________ he lived in last year?
A. that, that B. the one, the one C. that, the one D. the one, that
此题应选D。容易误选A。为了便于分析，我们先将以上两句还原成陈述句(注意is的位置)。如：
(1)This room is _________ he lived in last year. (2)This is the room ________he lived in last year.
第(1)句填the one, 用作表语，其后的 (that) he lived in last year是用以修饰the one 的定语从句。此句若直接填that, 则不是定语从句(因为没有先行词)，而是表语从句。
但是由于引导表语从句的that不能充当句了成分，而其后的介词in又缺宾语，所以导致错误。
第(2)句填 that, 它是关系代词，用以引导定语从句(he lived in last year)修饰the room。 请做以下类例试题。如：
(1)—Is this the book _________ you want to buy? —Is this book _________ you want to buy?
A. that, that B. the one, the one C. that, the one D. the one, that (2)—Is this room ___________ he lived in 5 years ago? —Is this the room __________ he lived in 5 years ago?
A. that, that B. the one, the one C. that, the one D. the one, that 答案：(1) C (2) D
有的英语初学者在使用定语从句时，有时会在从句中误加与关系代词同义的人称代词，这是不对的。如：
—This is the book that I have read __________ dozens of times. —But I have never read __________.
A. it, × B. ×，it C. it, it D. ×，× 此题应选B。容易误选C。本题第二句填代词 it, 这容易理解。而第一句不能填 it, 则是考生很容易忽视的。显然第一句中的 that I have read dozens of times 是修饰 the book 的定语从句，此句中的动词read不能再接用 it作宾语，因为它已有宾语that(也可省略)。
使用定语从句的几个误区（一）
在做有关定语从句的试题时，考生千万不要在定语从句中重复使用与关系词(或先行词)指代相同的人称代词。如：
我们昨晚看的电影很精彩。
误：The film we saw it last night was wonderful. 正：The film we saw last night was wonderful. 刚才同你讲话的那个人是谁?
误：Who’s the man you just talked to him? 正：Who’s the man you just talked to? 你昨天借给我的书很有趣。
误：The book you lent it me yesterday was very interesting. 正：The book you lent me yesterday was very interesting. 他就是去年死了妻子的那个人。
误：He is the man whosehis wife died last year. 正：He is the man whose wife died last year.
注意这类题中的定语从句
请看下面这道题，千万不要选 B！为什么？
The farmhouse we paid a visit _________ at the top of the hill.
A. standing B. to stand C. to standing D. to stands 【分析】此题容易误选B或C，有的同学可能认为B或C两者必选其一，因为其中的 to 要么是不定式符号，此时其后接动词用原形，要么就是介词，此时后接动词用动名词。其实，正确答案应是D。不错，pay a visit to 中的 to 是介词，但是在此句中 to 的宾语不是其后的动词，而是引导 we paid a visit to 这个定语从句的关系代词 that (在原句被省略)，也就是说选项D中介词 to 后的动词 stands 并不是 to 的宾语，而是主句的谓语，句意为“我们参观的那家农舍在小山顶上”。又如：
(1) The good news we were looking forward _________ in the end.
A. arriving B. to arrive C. to arriving D. to arrived 答案为D，不能选B或C。句中 we were looking forward to 是修饰名词 the good news 的定语从句，介词 to 后的动词 arrived 是句子的谓语，句意为“我们盼望的好消息终于到了”。
(2) The life he is now used _________ quite different from ours.
A. is B. to be C. to being D. to is
答案选D，不能选B或C。句中he is now used to 是修饰 the life 的定语从句，介词 to 的宾语是用以引导定语从句 he is now used to 的关系代词that（被省略），to 后的动词 is 是句子的谓语，句意为“他现在习惯的这种生活与我们的生活很不相同”。
(3) The work he paid special attention _________ to nothing.(www.yygrammar.com) A. came B. to come C. to coming D. to came 答案选D，不能选B或C。句中he paid special attention to 是修饰 the work 的定语从句，介词 to 的宾语是用以引导定语从句 he paid special attention to 的关系代词that (被省略），to 后的动词 came 是句子的谓语，句意为“他特别关注的那项工作泡汤了”。
(4) The result what he said would lead _________ his regret in the future.
A. is B. to be C. to being D. to was 答案选D，不能选B或C。句中what he said would lead to 是修饰 the result 的定语从句，介词 to 的宾语是用以引导定语从句 what he said would lead to 的关系代词that （被省略），to 后的动词 was 是句子的谓语，句意为“他所说的话将导致的结果是他今后的后悔”。
如何快速区别非限制性定语从句与并列句
如何快速区别非限制性定语从句与并列句？请看看下面这道题： —He wrote a lot of novels, none of __________ were popular.
—It’s the same with his wife. She wrote some plays, but none of __________ was a success. A. these, them B. which, which C. those, which D. which, them 此题应选 D。很容易误选A，B。选对该题的关键是：要注意前面一句的 none of...没有并列连词(说明它才是非限制性定语从句，所以其后填which)，而后面一句的none of...前有一并列连词but(说明它与前面一句构成并列句，所以其后填them)。请做以下类似题(注意and, but等的有无)。如：
1. a. He has two sons, but neither of ________ is clever. b. He has two sons, neither of ________ is clever. A. them, them B. whom, whom C. them, whom D. whom, them
2. a. Mr Smith made a lot of money, most of________ was spent helping the poor. b. Mr Smith made a lot of money, and most of________ was spent helping the poor. A. it, it B. which, which C. it, which D. which, it
类似地，以下一题也与 but, and 这类词的有无相关： 3. ________many times, but he still couldn’t remember.
A. Having been told B. Being told C. Having told D. He was told
答案：1. C 2. D 3. D
修饰the way的定语从句
the way后面的定语从句，关系词若在从句中作状语，相当于“用这种方式 / 方法(=in this way)”时，通常不用关系词，偶尔用that，在较正式的文体里才用in which来引导。如：
Do it the way you were taught. 要照教你的那样做。
I was impressed by the way in which she did it. 她干成这件事的方式给我留下了深刻的印象。
注意：way 后不能用 how 引导定语从句，但也可以不用 way，而直接用 how 引导的名词性从句来表达这类意思。如：
That’s the way he did it.= That’s how he did it. 他就是这样做的。 另外，当先行词way表示方向时，不用任何关系词。如： Was that the way she went? 她是往那个方向走的吗？
关系词代词和关系副词的意义与用法
依照关系词在从句中的用法差异，可分为关系代词和关系副词。关系代词有who, whom, which, that, whose等，在定语从句中作主语、宾语、定语等，关系副词有when, where, why等，在定语从句中作状语。具体用法如下：
1. 关系代词的用法
先行词是人，在从句中作主语用 who，作宾语用 whom 或 who，作定语用 whose；先行词是物，在定语从句中作主语或宾语都用 which，作定语用 of which 或 whose 均可。在限制性定语从句中 which, who, whom 都可用 that 代替。关系代词作宾语时，关系代词常被省略。如：
A man who sells books in a shop is called a bookseller。开店售书的人叫做书商。 He is the man whom you have been looking for. 他就是你要找的那个人。
You are the only one whose advice he might listen to. 你是唯一可能使他听从劝告的人。 he was not on the train which arrived just now. 她不在刚才到达的那列火车上。 2. 关系副词的用法
关系副词有when, where, why 等，在定语从句中作状语，分别表示时间、地点和原因。when 通常放在 time, day, season, age, occasion 等时间的名词后；where 通常放在 place, city, town, village, house, case, point, situation 等地点名词后；why 通常只放在 reason 后。如：
Have you set the day when you will move? 你搬迁的日子定了吗? The book is on the table where you left it. 书在桌子上，你放在那里的。
We don’t know the reason why he didn’t show up. 我们不知道他为什么没有来。
使用关系副词的三点注意
1. how 不能用作关系副词，不要想当然地将 how 用作关系副词置于 the way 后表示方式：
他说话就是那个样子。
误：This is the way how he spoke.
正：This is how he spoke. / This is the way (that, in which) he spoke.
2. 关系副词 when 和 where 既可引导限制性定语从句，也可引导非限制性定语从句，但why 只能引导限制性定语从句，不能引导非限制性定语从句(若引导非限制性定语从句，可用for which reason)。
3. 引导定语从句时，when 的先行词为时间，where 的先行词为地点，why 的先行词为原因(主要是 the reason)，但是反过来却不一定：
Don’t forget the time (that) I’ve told you. 不要忘记我告诉你的时间。 This is the house (that) he bought recently. 这就是他最近买的那座房子。 Please tell me the reason (that) you know. 请告诉我你所知道的原因吧。
that 还是 when
在通常情况下，表示时间的名词后应用关系副词 when 来引导定语从句。但下面一句是例外，你能看出它的特殊性吗？
She says that she’ll never forget the time ________ she’s spent working as a secretary in our company.
A. which B. when C. how D. where
【陷阱】容易误选B，机械地认为时间名词后必须用关系副词when，地点名词后用关系副词 where。