定语从句是每个中国学生都学过的语法点。但问题恰恰在这里——学得太早，反而成了写作的负担。
看看你或你孩子的作文，是不是每段都有好几个 “which”、“that”？“a problem which is…”、“the company that was…”、“people who are…”——这些都没错，但读起来笨重得像穿了十层衣服。
母语者的写作原则恰恰相反：能省略的”which/that + be”一律省略。
今天我们从《金融时报》一篇关于香港上市公司董事会性别平等的话题中，提取4个最实用的定语从句省略技巧。看完就能直接用进中高考和雅思作文里。
📖 FT原文段落
Not one of Hong Kong’s top listed companies has achieved gender parity in the boardroom, with the Asian financial hub so far behind global peers that as many white men sit on the boards of its biggest listed groups as women of all backgrounds.
White men, who account for some 0.5 per cent of the Hong Kong population, also made up 74 of the total.
The move, intended to better reflect the growing bloc of highly valued mainland companies, is widely expected to favour Chinese tech groups whose boards are frequently male-dominated.
…a family patriarch who is more likely to choose a man to fill out a board primarily intended to serve as a squad of yes-men.
中文对照：香港顶级上市公司中没有一家实现董事会性别平等。白人男性——约占香港人口的0.5%——在恒生指数公司董事会中也有74人。这一旨在更好地反映高估值内地公司群体的改革，预计将有利于那些董事会以男性主导的中国科技集团。……一个家族掌舵人更可能选择男性来填补董事会空缺，而这个董事会本身就被设计成应声筒。
✏️ 技巧拆解
技巧1：过去分词替代——删除”which/that was/were”
这是最常用、最好学的省略技巧。只要定语从句是 被动语态（which/that + was/were + V-ed），就可以直接删除关系代词和be动词。
原文：
a board primarily intended to serve as a squad of yes-men
对比：
| 学生写法（笨重） | FT写法（简洁） |
|---|---|
| a board which was primarily intended to serve as a squad of yes-men | a board primarily intended to serve as a squad of yes-men |
| measures that were designed to improve diversity | measures designed to improve diversity |
| a study which was conducted by the university | a study conducted by the university |
模板： [名词] + V-ed(短语)
例句：
- Students motivated by genuine interest perform better than those driven solely by exam pressure.
- The policy introduced in 2023 has significantly reduced carbon emissions.
技巧2：分词短语后置——“which/that + 主动动词”变V-ing
如果定语从句是 主动语态，把 “which/that + V” 变成 “V-ing”。
原文中虽然没有直接出现这个模式（因为FT作者已经用了省略形式），但我们可以从文章中推导出一个典型的省略场景：
a growing bloc of highly valued mainland companies that has dominated listings in recent years
可以简化为：
a bloc of mainland companies dominating listings in recent years
对比：
| 学生写法 | FT风格写法 |
|---|---|
| companies that dominate the market | companies dominating the market |
| factors which influence students’ choices | factors influencing students’ choices |
| organizations that support gender equality | organizations supporting gender equality |
模板： [名词] + V-ing(短语)
例句：
- Technology shaping modern education must be embraced rather than feared.
- Students pursuing a degree in finance often prioritize career prospects over passion.
技巧3：“whose”代替”which/that + 所有格”
中国学生的通病：遇到”某物的某方面”时，不会用”whose”，而是写成 “which + have/with + …”，句子一下子就拉长了。
原文：
Chinese tech groups whose boards are frequently male-dominated
对比：
| 学生写法 | FT写法 |
|---|---|
| Chinese tech groups which have boards that are frequently male-dominated | Chinese tech groups whose boards are frequently male-dominated |
| cities whose populations have grown rapidly | cities which have populations that have grown rapidly |
| companies whose products are widely used | companies which have products that are widely used |
⚠️ 注意：很多学生以为 “whose” 只能指人——这是误解。“whose” 完全可以指物，而且是比 “of which” 更自然的写法。
模板： [名词] + whose + [所属名词] + 动词
例句：
- Countries whose education systems prioritize critical thinking produce more innovative graduates.
- A city whose air quality is declining must take immediate action.
技巧4：非限制性定语从句——逗号”who/which” + 补充信息
这个技巧不是”省略”，而是教你用 非限制性定语从句（带逗号的）来做优雅的补充说明。
原文：
White men, who account for some 0.5 per cent of the Hong Kong population, also made up 74 of the total.
这句话的主干是 “White men also made up 74 of the total”。中间用逗号隔开的 “who account for some 0.5 per cent of the Hong Kong population” 是附加信息——删掉它，句子语法完全成立。
这正是非限制性定语从句的本质：它不是定义”是什么人”，而是补充”还有什么信息”。
对比：
| 学生写法 | FT写法 |
|---|---|
| White men, accounting for only 0.5% of Hong Kong’s population… | White men, who account for some 0.5 per cent… |
| The policy, which was implemented last year,… | The policy, implemented last year,…（可进一步省略为过去分词） |
模板： [主句主语], who/which + [补充信息], + 主句剩余部分
例句：
- The internet, which connects billions of people worldwide, has transformed education.
- My high school English teacher, who encouraged me to read extensively, inspired my passion for writing.
💡 写作建议
三步自检法——写完作文后这样做：
- 扫一遍全文，圈出所有 “which”、“that”、“who”——太多了就是信号
- 逐一检查：“which/that/who + be + V-ed” 能否直接删除be动词？→ 能就删
- 最后查：“which/that/who + 主动动词” 能否改成V-ing？→ 能就改
建议专门拿出一周时间，每次写完作文只做这件事——删定语省略。一周后你会发现，写简化版已经成为肌肉记忆，不再需要刻意检查了。
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