Question

新概念第三册 lesson 36？

When the brothers were reunited，Hans explained how it was that he was still alive.

How it was that he was still alive.请帮忙解答下这个语法结构，为什么不能用 How he was still alive 。谢谢

Answer 1

这里how it was that he was still alive作explain的宾语(从句)，该从句是一个主系表结构的句子，其中关系副词how作引导词，it作主语， was是系动词，that引导表语从句he was still alive.

作者之所以使用了how it was…，是为了强调汉斯解释自己“怎么就还活着”。如果用why/how he was still alive，语法上是不存在问题的，但就没有强调“怎么就”的味道了。

Answer 2

How it was that he was still alive
强调句型(强调how)
正常语序：
it was how that he was still alive
把it was that省略
就是
how he was still alive
又如

He couldn't say what it was that bothered him.
他说不出是什么使他心烦。
非强调句：
He couldn't say what bothered him.