动词要求的补语为子句时,通常以指示代名词that作为补语标记,来标示其附属性。that所带的名词子句为另一事件,作为“思想沟通”类事件所要求的内容补语:
He thinks that English is easy. →认定的事实
He thought that English is easy. →过去认定的事实
He thought that English was easy. →过去如此认定,现今可能改变想法了!
补语标记that所带的子句本身是一个完整的句子,说明“想”的内容,时态标记颇为自由,但以上三句话因时态不同而有微妙的言外之意。
另外,关系子句(relative clause)也是一种附属子句,作为修饰名词之用,通常以关系代名词来标记(who/which):
I saw the cat [who was chasing a dog.]→修饰受词
The cat [who was chasing the dog] went into the house. →修饰主词
上例中的两个关系子句都是帮助说明“是哪一只”?关系代名词用who,是常见的拟人化用法,猫狗和人一样,都有生命(animate)。英文关系子句的位置和中文不一样,中文说:[你昨天穿的]rel那件衣服,关系子句在前,英文则在后:
中文:[你在宴会穿的]rel那件洋装很好看。
英文:The dress rel [which you wore in the party] looks good.
——劉美君. (2012). 英文文法有道理! 重新認識英文文法觀念. 聯經.