一、whose为who的所有格,作“某(些)人的……”解,它所指代的先行词必须是人,其引导的定语从句修饰它的先行词,同时它本身在从句中作定语。
This is the little girl whose parents were killed in the great earthquake.这就是在那次大地震中失去双亲的那个小姑娘。
Mr Liu wants to talk to the students whose homework hasn't been handed in.刘老师要跟那些没交家庭作业的学生谈话。
二、whose也可作which的所有格,作“某(些)物的……”解,它所指代的先行词必须是物。
The company whose name was Notco was in Australia.那个名叫诺特可的公司设在澳大利亚。
We live in a house whose windows open to the south.我们居住在一所窗户朝南开的房子里。
三、whose可修饰定语从句中的主语、宾语、介词宾语等不同成分。
Mr King,whose legs were badly hurt,was quickly taken to hospital.金先生的腿受了重伤,很快就被送往医院。
We shall have to make a decision about Ms King,whose story I've just told you.关于金女士的情况,我刚才已经告诉你们了,我们得对她的事情作出决定。
四、whose既可引导限制性定语从句,亦可引导非限制性定语从句。
The boss in whose department Mr King worked called at the hospital.金先生工作单位的老板到医院来探视。(限制性定语从句)
The boss of the company,whose name was Mr Little,told the story.公司的老板叫利特尔,他讲述了这个故事。(非限制性定语从句)
五、由于whose具有兼作who和 which的所有格的双重功能,故在指人时可用of whom代替whose,指物时可用of which代替whose。
This kind of book is for children whose native language(=the native language of whom)is Chinese.这种书是给母语是汉语的儿童看的。
I live in a room whose window(=the window of which)opens to the south. 我住在一间窗户朝南开的屋子里。
六、按英语习惯用法,下列情况中的whose和of whom或of which切不可混用:
1.凡是of whom或of which同数词或代词(如some,many,little等)连用表示部分与整体关系时,通常不可用 whose。
Mr White wrote many articles,some of which were translated into Chinese.怀特先生写了不少文章,其中一些译成了中文。
2.凡是of whom或of which修饰定语从句中的主语,是表示同位关系的代词both,all等时,不可用whose。
I have two sons,both of whom serve in the army.我有两个儿子,都在部队服役。
He has some novels,all of which are written in Russian.他有一些小说,都是用俄文写的。