介系詞+關係代名詞

問： In which、 of which、 from which三個說法，意思有什麼分別？怎樣使用？

答：這是介系詞（ preposition）和關係代名詞（ relative pronoun）合用的問題，類似說法還有 about/ over/ to which、 in/ to/ from whom等等。介系詞和關係代名詞合用的方法，簡單得很。請看以下句子：（ 1） This is the house. He once lived in it（這棟房子，他曾經居住）。（ 2） We visited Dartmoor Prison. Escape from this prison is said to be very difficult（我們參觀達特木爾監獄。據說，要逃出這個監獄十分困難）。（ 3） I examined his invention. The ingenuity of it was admirable（我細看他的發明，精巧得令人歎服）。（ 4） The orphans were taken good care of by an old woman. They grew very attached to her（那些孤兒獲一位老婦人悉心照顧，對她十分愛慕）。

關係代名詞可以取代名詞或代名詞，並把句子接連起來。接連的時候，假如被取代的名詞、代名詞之前有介系詞，那麼，這介系詞也會用在關係代名詞之前。例如：（ 1） This is the house in which he once lived。（ 2） We visited Dartmoor Prison, from which escape is said to be very difficult。（ 3） I examined his invention, the ingenuity of which was admirable。（ 4） The orphans were taken good care of by an old woman, to whom they grew very attached。留意這四句和前文那八句文法結構的同異，你自然就能掌握 in which等等的意思和用法。

（古德明）