定语从句是高中阶段英语学习的一个重点，也是学习的一个难点，更是高考英语常考的一个内容。定语从句在高考各个题型中都会涉及到，掌握定语从句对于语言理解具有相当重要的意义。定语从句在高考单项填空试题考查中，大多考查引导定语从句的关系代词和关系副词，区别限制性定语从句与非限制性定语从句。总结最近十年来高考单项填空试题中所考查到的定语从句，发现常考的一共有八种类型，本文将对此作一小结。
第一种类型：考查which引导的非限制性定语从句
which指代整个主句的内容，它引导的定语从句一般位于主句的后面，它的意思是“这(那)件事……”，在这些从句中which作主语或宾语。如：
1. Jim passed the driving test, _________ surprised everybody in the office. (浙江卷)
A. which B. that C. this D. it
2. Helen was much kinder to her youngest son than to the others, _________, of course, made the others envy him.(天津卷)
A. who B. that C. what D. which
解析：which引导非限制性定语从句并在从句中作主语。答案分别为AD。
第二种类型：考查as引导的非限制性定语从句
as也可指代整个主句的内容，但不同于which的是，它引导的定语从句既可以位于主句的前面，也可以位于主句的后面。它的意思是“正如”，在这些从句中as 作主语或宾语。如：
1. _________ I explained on the phone, your request will be considered at the next meeting. (浙江卷)
A. When B. After C. As D. Since
2. _________ is reported in the newspapers, talks between the countries are making progress. (北京卷)
A. It B. As C. That D. What
3. _________ is often the case, we have worked out the production plan. (江苏卷)
A. Which B. When C. What D. As
解析：引导非限制性定语从句且位于主句之前，用as引导。答案分别为CBD。
第三种类型：考查由“介词＋关系代词”引导的定语从句
用于这种情况的关系代词一般为which(指物)和whom(指人)。在这种结构中，介词的选择非常关键，可以遵循以下四个原则：(1)根据定语从句中的谓语动词确定介词，其动词与介词搭配，构成动词短语。(2)根据定语从句中的形容词确定介词，其形容词与介词搭配，构成形容词短语。(3)根据定语从句修饰的先行词确定介词，其先行词往往是表示时间、地点、原因、方法、工具等的词，它们与介词之间有一定的联系。当“介词＋关系代词”在定语从句中充当时间、地点、原因状语时，可分别用when, where, why替换。(4)根据句子的意思确定介词。有些句子，先行词完全一样，定语从句中谓语动词不是由固定的动词短语构成的，这时，要根据句子所要表达的意思，选用不同的介词。如：
1. He was educated at a local grammar school, _________ he went on to
A. from which B. after that C. after which D. from this
2. The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the jobs _________ they are being trained. (江西卷)
A. in that B. for that C. in which D. for which
3. I have many friends, some _________ are businessmen. (全国卷I)
A. of them B. from which C. who of D. of whom
4. Mark was a student at this university from 1999 to 2003, _________ he studied very hard and was made Chairman of the Students’ Union. (2005年重庆卷)
A. during which time B. for which time
C. during whose time D. by that time
解析：第1题选C，after which 指“在此之后”；第2题选D，考查的对应搭配是be trained for the jobs。第3题选D，some of whom意为“其中有几个”。第4题选A，“他学习努力并被选为学生会主席”应是“从1999至2003年这个期间里”所发生的事，所以用during which time。
第四种类型：考查由where, when, why引导的定语从句
关系副词where, when, why引导定语从句时，它们分别在从句中充当地点时间、原因状语。如：
1.―Is that the small town you often refer to?
―Right, just the one _________ you know I used to work for years. (福建卷)
A. that B. which C. where D. what
2. If a shop has chairs_________ women can park their men , women will spend more time in the shop. (上海卷)
A. that B. which C. when D. where
3. I walked in our garden, _________Tome and Jim were tying a big sign onto one of the trees. (辽宁卷)
A. which B. when C. where D. that
4. I work in a business _________almost everyone is waiting for a great chance. (湖南卷)
A. how B. which C. where D. that
解析：第1―4 题均选where，表示“……的地方”，引导定语从句，表示地点。
第五种类型：考查whose 引导的定语从句
此时要注意三点：(1) whose 引导的定语从句，其后应紧跟名词，构成“whose+名词”；(2) whose 引导的定语从句，其先行词不仅可以指人，还可以指物；(3) whose 引导的定语从句指物时，可用 of which 代替whose，但词序不同，即whose+名词=the +名词+of which。如：
1. Last month, part of
A. that B. whose C. those D. what
2. George Orwell, _________was Eric Arthur, wrote many political novels and essays. (北京卷)
A. the real name B. what his real name
C. his real name D. whose real name
解析：这两道题考查由whose引导的定语从句，whose在题中表示所属关系。
第六种类型：考查分隔式定语从句
即所考查的定语从句与先行词之间插有其他修饰语。做题时应撇开其中的修饰语，直接将先行词与定语从句联系起来。如：
1. The film brought the hours back to me _________ I was taken good care of in that far-away village. (全国卷)
A. until B. that C. when D. where
2. It was an exciting moment for these football fans this year, _________ for the first time in years their team won the World Cup. (北京春季卷)
A. that B. while C. which D. when
解析：第1题选C，先行词是the hours，back to me 是插入先行词与定语从句之间的干扰成分；第2题选D，定语从句修饰的先行词是an exciting moment。
第七种类型：考查关系词省略的限制性定语从句
1.―Why does she always ask you for help?
―There is no one else _________, is there? (北京卷)
A. who to turn to B. she can turn to
C. for whom to turn D. for her to turn
解析：此题答案选B，先行词是no one else，she can turn to前省略了作宾语的关系代词whom或who。值得注意的是，本句还可以写成to whom she can turn。
2. What surprised me was not what he said but _________ he said it. (年湖北卷)
A. the way B. in the way that
C. in the way D. the way which
解析：此题答案选A，考查the way后接定语从句的用法。the way后接定语从句有三种用法：(1) 用in which引导；(2) 用that引导；(3) 省略关系词。此题属于第三种用法。
第八种类型：考查定语从句与其他知识点的综合运用
1. He is the only one of the students who _________ a winner of scholarship for three years. (上海春季卷)
A. is B. are C. have been D. has been
解析：此题形式上好像只是考查主谓一致和时态的运用，实际上关键是确定先行词。代词one前是否有定冠词决定定语从句中的谓语动词的单复数形式，one of the students中的先行词是the students，定语从句的谓语动词要用复数形式；但此处the only one of the students中的先行词是the only one，所以定语从句中的谓语动词要用单数形式。而且句子中因为有状语for three years，要用现在完成时，所以综合判断后答案只能是D。
2. Meeting my uncle after all these years was an unforgettable moment, _________ I will always treasure. (全国卷)
A. that B. one C. it D. what
解析：答案选B。题中的one是an unforgettable moment的同位语，同时也是先行词，其后就是一个定语从句，I always treasure前省略了作宾语的关系代词that，treasure在这里是及物动词，意思是“铭记，珍藏”。