同位语从句的形式和定语从句的形式非常相似,两者最大的区别在于同位语从句的功能在于对前面的名词进行进一步的解释,定语从句的功能在于对前面的名词进行进一步的修饰和限定;
如果关系词为weather,how, what, 一定是同位语从句; 如果名词前的关系词为when, where, why,若when前面的名词是地点,where前面的名词是时间,why 前面的名词是原因,那么一定是定语从句;若when, where, why前面不是地点、时间和原因,那么是同位语从句; 如果关系词为which,则通过中文翻译进行区分;若which能翻译成哪一个,则一定是同位语从句,若不能,则为定语从句; 如果关系词为that,则需要对句子进行成分分析来判定;如果that在句子中充当成分,则是定语从句,否则即为同位语从句;
eg:The suggestion that she should stay in the room is good.
The suggestion that she has given in the meeting is good.
例:The fact that ordinary citizens are now starting to think seriously about the nation's moral climate, says this ethics professor at the University of Chicago, is reason to hope that new ideas will come forward to improve it.