Question

SAT 语法~~~谢谢！！！！！

There is a special relationship between a conductor and the members of an orchestra, [when at its best can be creative and at its worst,destabilizing.]
这里答案是 which at its best can be creative and at its worst,destabilizing.which 是指代relationship把。。可以指代这么远吗？是因为between后面是个介词短语么？
还有为什么不能选while at their best is creative and at their worst is destabilizing？？？？？

Answer 1

分解句子

There is a special relationship (between a conductor and the members of an orchestra), (which <at its best> can be creative and <at its worst>, destablizing)

首先看第一个括号里的是介词短语作后置定语修饰relationship，而括号二则是另外一个定语从句，其修饰的主体也是relationship。

这里先回答你的第一个问题，为什么which后的定语从句离的那么远。的确，which引导的定语从句太远可能会引起歧义，尤其是这里which之前有个名次orchestra容易让人误解which是不是在引到orchestra。一般来说，面对这样一个成分比较多的句子，如果你能正确理解句意，而且有正常的英语逻辑，就不会认为which所修饰的是orchestra，因为那样绝对doesnt make any sense。这是从逻辑角度讲得。从语法角度讲，英语文法中有一个非常重要的“尾重原则”，简而言之就是句子中较长的定语状语宾语补语等非句子构成的必要成分如果过长，一律放于句尾，如果有多个成分，则最短的放最前，最长的放最后，进而达到避免句子“头重脚轻”的目的。而回到例子中，你会发现，括号一中的介词短语作后置定语明显短于后面的定语从句。所以，直接回答你的问题“可以指代这么远吗？”答案是，可以！

至于为什么不能选while at their best is creative and at their worst is destabilizing，非常简单

There is a special relationship (between a conductor and the members of an orchestra), (which <at its best> can be creative and <at its worst>, destablizing)

看< >里面的介词短语，把它们去掉后
变成了 which can be creative and destablizing
如果你要选while，则是 while can be creative and destablizing
which作为定语从句的先行词引导定语从句可以充当从句，主语，作代词，意思是上文的relationship

而while只能做conjunction连词，也就是说，如果你要用while的话，原句就没有了主语，需要改成while the RELATIONSHIP can be creative and destablizing，添加主语。不过话又说回来，你改了这么多sat的句子，自然明白越言简意赅越好，所以相比while the relationship还是which的定语从句更好

追问

嗯嗯超详细谢谢！！
就还有一个小问题啊，就SAT不是专门就会考这个错位修饰语这个错误的吗？？

追答

错位修饰语，举个例子？
另外楼下不用谢

追问

professor Brand, who enjoys welcoming international students to her home on Thanksgiving, (served the traditional turkey dressed in Pilgrim clothing)。
像这样的啦。。这个dressed in Pilgrim clothing 不就是怕认为是turkey dressed in...所以括号内就改成了dressed in Pilgrim clothing to serve the traditional turkey~~

追答

对，的确会造成歧义。不过这个例子毕竟和我们讨论的不一样，这道题是一道需要你判别有歧义的部分并且找出来的，而我们那道题更多的是考察对连接词的理解（所以考到了对which when 和while的理解），如果咱们这道题的确想考歧义的话，无论题目是什么，最终他给的正确答案很可能是Creative or destablizing, there is a relationship between a conductor and an orchestra.

Answer 2

楼上太棒了，我也正在想这道题！！