1. 具有疑問性質(zhì),意為“什么,什么樣的”。如:
I don’t know what he needs. 我不知道他需要什么。(what在賓語從句中作賓語)
2. 具有感嘆性質(zhì),意為“多么”。如:
Only then did I recognize what silly mistakes I had made. 只是在那時(shí)我才意識(shí)到我犯了多么愚蠢的錯(cuò)誤。(what在賓語從句中作定語)
3. 具有關(guān)系代詞性質(zhì)的,意為“所…的”,此時(shí)相當(dāng)于“the+名詞+that”或者all that,即好像是既包括了先行詞也包含了關(guān)系代詞,因此,有學(xué)者稱之為關(guān)系代詞型what。如:
What (=The thing that) happened after that was interesting. 后來發(fā)生的事挺有意思。(what在主語從句中作主語)
China is not what (=the China that) used to be. (what在表語從句中作表語)
The boy dived into water and after what (the time that) seemed to be a long time, he came up again. 他跳進(jìn)水里,過了好像很久之后,他才又從水里出來。(what在賓語從句中作主語)