(2)性质不同
定语从句是从句对其先行词的修饰或限制,属于形容词性从句的范畴;而同位语从句是从句对其前名词的解释,该名词与同位语从句的关系可以用“主系表”来表达。例如:
We have all heard the news that our team has won.
名词与其后的同位语从句可以表达为:
The news is that our team has won.
(3)引导词不完全相同。
A. 有些引导词如:how, whether可以引导同位语从句,但不能引导定语从句。what不可以引导定语从句,但却可以引导同位语从句。例如:
I have no idea what has happened to him.
B. 引导词that引导定语从句时,在从句中一般作主语或宾语,(指物时还可用which代替),如果在从句中作宾语常可以省略。that在同位语从句中虽不充当任何句子成份,但不能省略,也不能用which来代替。例如:
<1>The order that we should throw away our luggage was received yesterday.
<2>The order(that)we received yesterday was that we should throw away our luggage.
通过比较可知:第<1>句中的划线部分是对名词order的具体解释,that只起到连接作用,但不能省;第<2>句中的划线部分是名词order的修饰语,that代指the order,在从句中充当宾语,因而在句中可以省略。