# 文法閱讀筆記 14：名詞子句（下）
少數例句原講解中未完整口述出完整英文句子，以下已依據老師的結構線索重建語意一致的例句，供學習參考。
# 一、虛主詞／虛受詞 + that 子句的「固定中文語意」
虛主詞 it 本身不具語意，但很多「it + be + 形容詞 / 過去分詞 + that」的固定句型，會對應到特定的中文說法，記住這些搭配能大幅加快閱讀速度：
| 英文句型 | 常見中文翻譯 |
|---|---|
| It is clear that... | 很明顯…… |
| It is likely that... | 很有可能…… |
| It is important that... | 重要的是…… |
| It is said that... | 據說…… |
| It is estimated that... | 據估計…… |
| It is known that... | 眾所周知…… |
- It is important that tenants examine carefully all the terms themselves. → 重要的是，租客要自己仔細檢查過所有條款。
- It is reported that they have 18,000 members in the city of Chicago alone. → 據報導，他們光是在芝加哥就有 18,000 名會員。
虛受詞也有類似的固定搭配（雖然較少見）：
| 英文句型 | 常見中文翻譯 |
|---|---|
| Rumor has it that... | 謠傳…… |
| Legend has it that... | 傳說中…… |
| Tradition has it that... | 傳統認為…… |
| Word has it that... | 據說…… |
- Word has it that the president's youngest son was ready to replace him at the time. → 據說總統最小的兒子當時就已經準備好要接替他了。
# 二、Wh 子句 / Whether 子句也能搭配虛主詞、虛受詞
前面單元看到的虛主詞 / 虛受詞多半搭配 that 子句或不定詞，但 wh 子句和 whether 子句一樣可以搭配：
虛主詞：
- Where you come from does not matter. → It doesn't matter where you come from.（where 子句 → 虛主詞語意來源）
- It is uncertain whether the increase in sales was due to the ad campaign.（銷量上漲是否因為廣告，尚不確定）
虛受詞（較少見，但仍可能出現）：
- When she wants to get married was made uncertain by her vague response.* → Her vague response made it uncertain when she wants to get married.（SVOC 句型，wh 子句補充虛受詞 it）
- ...made it doubtful whether he would survive the transplant.（whether 子句補充虛受詞 it：他這次移植是否能存活）
# 三、例外中的例外：Because 子句也可能是名詞子句！
一般 because 引導的是副詞子句（修飾主要句，說明原因，屬於非必要的修飾成分，摘除後主要句仍完整）。
但少數情況下，because 子句其實擔任名詞的角色（主詞或補語），這時候就要歸類為名詞子句：
1. 當主詞（常見句型：Just because... doesn't/didn't mean that...）：
- Just because I don't know science doesn't mean that I don't know things.（because 子句作 doesn't mean 的主詞；後方 that 子句作受詞）
- Just because she is divorced doesn't mean that she cannot give her son a happy life.
- Just because the coat is a bargain doesn't mean that it deserves a place in your closet.
2. 當補語（放在 be 動詞後方，補充說明主詞）：
- If I were to apply for a job, it would be because I'm interested in the work itself, not because of the salary.（because 子句作補語，此處 it 有明確指涉，非虛主詞）
判斷技巧：試著把 because 子句摘除 —— 若主要句因此不完整（缺主詞或缺補語），那就是名詞子句；若摘除後主要句仍完整，就只是一般的副詞子句。
# 四、That 子句的引導詞何時可以省略？
原則一：that 子句作受詞或補語時，that 通常可以省略（因為 that 本身不具語意，省略不影響理解）：
- The spokesperson claimed (that) the river pollution had nothing to do with them.（受詞）
- He promised me (that) we will remain in regular contact.（第二受詞）
- She's afraid (that) her proposal would not be approved.（形容詞補語）
- The problem is (that) fewer and fewer people use cash to buy things.（主詞補語）
原則二：以下兩種情況，that 不可以省略：
-
that 子句作主詞時：省略會讓讀者誤判句子結構（誤以為子句內的名詞是主要句的主詞）。
- ✅ That both kids were lying was obvious to everyone.
- ❌
Both kids were lying was obvious to everyone.（讀者會誤判 both kids 是主要句主詞）
-
兩個以上名詞子句由連接詞串接時：保留 that 有助於讀者辨認「這是另一個子句」，而非另一個獨立句子。
- He said that three people had died and that seventeen others were in critical condition.
- Tell Peter what the clients ask for and that the project needs to be done by Friday.
其餘情況（子句作受詞或補語）that 可省可不省，沒有必要死背哪些動詞 / 形容詞後面一定要省略或保留 —— 多閱讀、多分析句子結構，自然就能抓到語感。不確定時，保留 that 永遠不會出錯。
判斷技巧同形容詞子句：留意動詞周遭「文法突兀」的地方（該有主詞卻沒有、該有受詞卻沒有），那裡往往就是被省略的 that 子句起點。
重要規則：that 引導的名詞子句，內部結構一定完整（不缺主詞、不缺受詞）—— 這點跟形容詞子句（內部一定不完整）恰好相反，可作為判斷某個 that 子句到底是名詞子句還是形容詞子句的依據！
- Mark called to say that he would be late.（子句內部：he（主詞）would be（動詞）late（補語），完整）→ 名詞子句
- Ivy is happy that she passed the final exam.（子句內部：she（主詞）passed（動詞）exam（受詞），完整）→ 名詞子句
- 若拿掉 that 後子句內部缺主詞或受詞 → 該子句其實是形容詞子句，不是名詞子句！
# 五、例句精讀分析
示範例句： My wife is writing a book about how people can improve their social skills.
- 子句：how people can improve their social skills（how 子句，作介系詞 about 的受詞）。
- 語意：我太太正在寫一本書，主題是關於人們如何能夠改善社交技巧。
1. Most people believe (that) they don't have much imagination.
- 子句：that 省略，作 believe 的受詞（子句內部完整：they/don't have/imagination）。
- 語意：大部分人都認為自己不太有想像力。
2. It is known that chocolate doesn't act as a healthy food.
- 子句：that chocolate doesn't act as a healthy food（作虛主詞 it 的補語；it is known that＝眾所周知）。
- 語意：眾所周知，巧克力不能算是健康食物。
3. Environmentalists do not know if such damage to the lake is reversible.
- 子句：if such damage to the lake is reversible（if＝是否，作 know 的受詞；不可誤讀為副詞子句的 if＝如果）。
- 語意：環保人士不知道對湖泊造成的這種傷害是否可逆。
4. That you have only 40% attendance shows your lack of interest in the course.
- 子句：That you have only 40% attendance（作主詞，that 不可省略，否則讀者會誤判 attendance 為主詞）。
- 語意：你只有四成的出席率，這顯示你對這門課根本沒有興趣。
5. It's important for me that a car handles well and that it has a strong engine.
- 子句：that a car handles well／that it has a strong engine（兩個 that 子句由 and 連接，皆作虛主詞 it 的補語；此處保留兩個 that 以避免混淆）。
- 語意：對我來說重要的是，車子的操控性要好，而且引擎要夠有力。
6. Most participants thought (that) keeping a diary was harder than they had expected.
- 子句：that 省略，作 thought 的受詞（子句內部：keeping a diary（動名詞主詞）/was（動詞）/harder...（補語），完整）。
- 語意：大多數參與者都認為，寫日記比他們預期的還要困難。
7. It doesn't matter to me who pays for my flight ticket.
- 子句：who pays for my flight ticket（who 子句，作虛主詞 it 的補語，非形容詞子句 —— 因為它不是在修飾任何名詞）。
- 語意：誰幫我付機票錢，對我來說並不重要。
8. Many people believe the myth that people only use 10% of their brains.
- 子句：that people only use 10% of their brains（作名詞 myth 的補語 / 同位語）。
- 語意：許多人都相信「人類只使用了 10% 大腦」這個迷思。
9. The customer service representative said (that) they were unsure how quickly the defective products will be recalled.
- 子句：that 省略，作 said 的受詞（大子句），內部再包含 how quickly the defective products will be recalled（wh 子句，作 unsure 的補語）。
- 語意：客服人員說，他們不確定瑕疵產品多快會被召回。
10. London is the only place in the country that has a housing problem, and that's because you have too many people living there.
- 結構：that has a housing problem 其實是形容詞子句（省略後子句內部缺主詞，符合形容詞子句「內部不完整」的特徵），修飾 place；逗點後的 that 是一般代名詞，指前面整件事；because 子句作 be 動詞後的補語，屬於名詞子句（回答「這是因為……」）。
- 語意：全國唯一有房屋問題的地方就是倫敦，而這全都是因為那裡住了太多人。
# 六、重點整理
- 虛主詞 / 虛受詞 + that 子句常有固定中文譯法（it is said that＝據說…… 等），記住能加快閱讀。
- wh 子句、whether 子句同樣可以搭配虛主詞或虛受詞使用。
- because 子句通常是副詞子句，但在 "Just because... doesn't mean that..." 或作 be 動詞補語時，可能是名詞子句 —— 判斷方法是看摘除後主要句是否仍完整。
- that 子句作主詞、或兩個以上子句並列時，that 不可省略；作受詞 / 補語時通常可省略，但無需死記規則，多讀多分析即可培養語感。
- 關鍵判斷依據：名詞子句內部結構一定完整（不缺主詞 / 受詞）；形容詞子句內部結構一定不完整（缺主詞或受詞）。這是分辨「that 子句到底是名詞子句還是形容詞子句」的最快方法。
