One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, language lessons, dumpling-making classes — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff. “It’s better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch’ is basically the idea,’ says Professor Dunn. Jennifer Black, president of the retailing research company Jennifer Black & Associates, said: “I think people are realizing they don’t need what they had. They’re more interested in creating memories.”(2024年英语专四·阅读理解)
重点看I think people are realizing they don’t need what they had。这句话看似简单,实际包含3处宾语从句。
1、主句I think (that)… + 宾语从句,that只起引导作用,在从句中不充当任何成分,没有实际意义,通常可以将其省略。
2、宾语从句people are realizing they don’t need what they had中,还嵌套了一个省略了that的宾语从句they don’t need what they had。
3、宾语从句what they had = the things that they had。
补全省略的部分:I think that people are realizing that they don’t need what they had.
*what可以引导宾语从句,在语法功能上,what既是从句的引导词,也承担从句内部的语法成分,例如主语、宾语或表语。从句要用陈述语序,即主语在前,谓语在后。
例如:
·We need to find out what went wrong.
宾语从句:what went wrong
what 作从句中的主语
·She explained what the problem was.
宾语从句:what the problem was
what作从句中的表语
·We discussed what she said.

宾语从句:what she said
what在从句中作said 的宾语
参考译文
研究中有一项重要发现:相比于购买普通物品,将钱花在体验上(例如购买演唱会门票、参加语言课程、学习包饺子)所带来的满足感更持久。邓恩教授解释道:“简单来说,与其买新沙发,不如去度假。”零售研究公司Jennifer Black & Associates的总裁詹妮弗·布莱克也表示:“现在大家逐渐意识到,自己以前拥有的那些东西,其实并不是必需的。比起物质享受,人们现在更愿意花钱创造回忆。”
例题
Awaiting me is a demanding job that I just don’t know _______ I’m going to do.
(2024年英语专四·单选)
A. where
B. why
C. what
D. how
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【解析】本题考察宾语从句用法。主句为Awaiting me is a demanding job,主语为a demanding job,谓语为is awaiting,属于倒装结构(正常语序为A demanding job is awaiting me)。
定语从句that I just don’t know (…) I’m going to do中,know是及物动词,需接宾语,因此 (…) I’m going to do是宾语从句。
宾语从句中,动词do后面缺少宾语,可以填入疑问代词what。而where、why、how为疑问副词,不能充当do的宾语。需注意,如果do后有宾语it,则从句部分的句子结构完整,其他三项均可填入。
【译文】摆在我面前的工作要求极高,我都不知道该从何下手。
【答案】C