She exhibits the idealism common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy.

1 单个形容词作定语，通常为前置定语。当形容词被介词短语修饰，构成形容词短语时，只能做后置定语，相当于定语从句，即 common to... 相当于 that is common to...

2 be it in food or in energy 为让步状语从句。这是正式语体（古体），省略了连词whether，将动词原型（虚拟语气）倒装。如果不倒装则为：

whether it be/may be/is in food or in energy.

She exhibits the idealism(which is省略) common to many advocates of sustainability, be it in food or in energy.

解答如下：

你的问题涉及2个核心问题+1个重要短语问题

(1)形容词短语作后置定语，形容词短语作后置定语是英语中非常常见语言现象。

common to many advocates of sustainability为形容词短语修饰/限定前面名词“idealism”,相当于定语从句which is common to many advocates of sustainability

(2)省略连词whether引导让步状语从句.(古体倒装虚拟语气，即be原形虚拟句）

Be it in food or in energy

=Whether it is in food or in energy

无论它是在食品方面还是在能源方面

(3)A be common to B A为B所有共有

Such behaviour is common to all young people.

这种行为在年轻人中司空见惯。

下面是关于哪些词性和哪些形式能作定语（前置定语和后置定语）详细归纳。希望对你的英语学习有很大帮助。（共计12种形式可以作定语）

【五】 定语：定语（attribute）是用来说明名词/代词的品质与特征及特性的词或者一组词，可以用作定语有：①名词；②形容词③副词

① 代词；⑤数词；⑥动词不定式；⑦动名词；⑧介词短语；⑨从句

【1】名词作定语（说明名词材质，性别以及种类）

This is a stone table.

这是一张石头桌子。

That is a steel chair.

那是一把钢质椅子。

These are apple trees

这些是苹果树。

There are many men teachers and women teachers

我们学校有很多男老师和女教师。

Tom is playing computer games in the room.

汤姆在房间里玩电脑游戏。

【2】形容词作定语（说明名词外在特征以及内在性格特点）

That is a beautiful house

.这是一栋漂亮的房子.

She is a kind and beautiful girl

她是一个善良而漂亮女孩.

This is an old temple

这是一个旧庙

She is a girl easy to get along with

她是一个容易相处的女孩

My father is a handsome man

我爸爸是一个英俊人.

I have something important to tell you.

我有重要事情告诉你。

Tom is a brave and clever boy.

汤姆是一个勇敢且很聪明男孩.

I have a lovely daughter.

我有个可爱的女儿.

She is a natural musician.

她是一位天生的音乐家。

He must be the best violinist alive.

他一定是最好的在世的小提琴手了。（后置定语） 

【3】副词作定语（用来修饰和限制前面的名词）

The people here/there are so kind and honest。

这里/那里的人们很善良也很诚实.

【4】代词作定语（用来修饰和限制后面的名词）

My father is a doctor

我爸爸是一个医生

His mother is a nurse

他的妈妈是一个护士

Our school is bigger than theirs

我们学校比他们学校大

【5】数词作定语（用来修饰和限制后面的名词用来说明其数量多少）

Thirty students took part in the basketball match.

三十个学生参加了这次篮球比赛.

Two books are on the desk.两本书在桌上.

The first book is red and the second is blue

第一本书是红色的而第第二本书是蓝色的

There are forty- two students in our class.

我们班有42名学生.

【6】其他特殊词作定语（用来修饰和限制后面的名词说明其数量多少）

There are a lot of apples in the basket.

在这个篮子里有很多苹果.

There are many people in the park.

公园里有很多人.

There are a few tomatoes in the fridge.

冰箱里有几个西红柿.

There is much meat in the fridge.

冰箱里有很多肉.

There is a little milk in the bottle.

瓶子里有一点牛奶.

There is some water in the bottle

瓶子里有一些水.

There is not any water in the bottle

瓶子里没有一些水

【7】动名词作定语（用来说明后面名词的用途/功能）

This is a walking stick

这是一根拐杖.

This is a swimming pool

这个是一个游泳池.

That is a waiting room.

那是候车室。

The reading room is very large.

这个阅览室很大。

【8】不定式

(1)主谓关系

The next train to arrive was from Seattle

即将达到的下一趟火车是来自西雅图。

The first person to arrive here is Tom.

第一个到达这里的人是汤姆。

Li Xuemei was the first athlete to get to the finishing line

=Li Xuemei athlete who got to the finishing line．

李雪梅是第一个到达终点的选手。

We need someone to help to repair the computer

=someone who will help to repair the computer

我们需要一个能帮助我们修电脑的人。

He is always the first to bear hardships the last to enjoy comforts

=He is the first who will bear hardships），＝the last who will enjoy comforts．

他总是一个吃苦在前，享乐在后的人。

(2)动宾关系

We have a lot of work to do.

我们有很多工作要做。

I have some clothes to wash.

我有些衣服要洗。

Get him something to eat．

给他拿点儿东西吃。

We take all our bottles to be recycled.

我们把可回收利用的所有瓶子都挑出来。

We have a lot of bottles to recycle

我们有许多瓶子要回收。

He has a lot of work to do today．

今天他有大量的活要干。

Do you have anything more to say？

你还有什么话要说吗？

(3)同位关系

The order to attack the city is received.

收到了攻打这种城市命令。

I have a wish to go to college.

我有一个上大学的愿望。

I had a dream to fly in the sky like a bird.

我做了一个像鸟儿在天上飞翔的梦

(4)动状语关系

The quickest way to travel is by plane.

旅行最快方式是称飞机。

【9】现在分词

(1)表示主动进行

China is a developing country.

=China is a country which is developing.

中国是一个发展中国家。

(2)仅仅表示主动

The room facing south is mine。

=The room which faces south is mine

朝南那个房间是我的房间。

The boy watching TV in the room is my younger brother.

=The boy who is watching TV in the room is my younger brother.

在房间里看电视那个男孩是我弟弟。

【10】过去分词

(1)表示被动完成

The novel written by Luxun is very interesting.

=The novel which was written by Luxun is very interesting

鲁迅写的小说很有趣。

This is a polluted river.

=This is a river which is polluted

这是一条受污染的河流。

(2)仅仅只表示完成。

There are many fallen leaves on the ground.

地上有很多落叶。

Mary’s mother is a retired teacher.

玛丽妈妈是一个退休老师。

【11】介词作定语（用来修饰限制前面的名词）

The book on the table is mine

桌上这本是我的书.

The woman beside me is my mother

我旁边的这个女人是我妈妈.

The girl in the room is my sister.

在房间那个女孩是我的妹妹。

This is a map of China.

这是一幅中国地图。

China is a country with a long history.

中国是一个历史悠久的国家。

The wild look in his eyes spoke plainer than words.

他那凶暴的目光说明得再清楚不过了。 

【12】从句作定语（用来修饰限制前面的名词）

(1)关系代词who引导定语从句

A:作主语

 Do you remember the girl who taught us English？(that)

你还记得教我们英语的那个女孩吗？

I met someone who said he knew you. 

我碰到一个人，他说认识你。

The man who lives in that house is my uncle.

住在那座房子里的人是我叔叔.

The man who is in red is my father

穿红色衣服那个男人是我爸爸.

The girl who is watching TV in the room is my sister

正在房间里看电视那个女孩是我的妹妹.

She has a father who is a policeman.

她有一个当警察的爸爸。

Do you know the girl who is singing on the stage?

你认识在舞台上唱歌的那个女孩子吗？

B:作宾语

She is the girl (who, whom) you saw in school. 

她就是你在学校见到的那个女孩。

He is the man whom/ that I saw yesterday.

他就是我昨天见的那个人

(2)关系代词that引导定语从句

A:作主语

The dog that was lost has been found.

丢失的狗找到了

They live in a house that was built 200 years ago. 

他们住在一座两百年前盖的房子里。

B:作宾语

I have forgotten everything that I learned at school.

我把学校学的所有东西都给忘了

Those books that you lent me were very useful. 

你借给我的那些书很有用。

C:作作表语

She is not the girl that she was three years ago

她不是她3年前的那个女孩了。

D:作补足语

I'm not the fool that you thought me.

我不是你以前所认为的那个傻子了。 

He is the nicest teacher that the students consider him in their school.

他就是学生认为学校中最好的那个老师。

(3)关系代词which引导定语从句

A:作主语

Clock is a kind of instrument which can tell people time.(that)

钟是一种能够告诉人们时间的仪器。

She was not in the train which arrived just now. (that)

她不在刚到的那列火车上。

He changed his mind, which made me very angry.（非限制性定语从句） 

他改变了主意，这使我很生气。

This is the museum which was built last year.

这个去年修建的博物馆。

B:作宾语

He showed me the article which he had written. （that）

他把他写的文章拿给我看。

The radio which he bought yesterday doesn't work now.

他昨天买的收音机现在坏了。

I wore the necklace which my mother had left me. (that)

我戴着我妈留给我的项链。

This is a subject about which we have talked a lot

这是一个我们讨论了许多的问题。

The book， which he lost yesterday， has been found.

他昨天丢了这本书，但现在已找到了。

(4)关系代词as引导定语从句

【1】关系代词as引导限制性定语从句，先行词通常被such, the same修饰。

A:作主语

Let's discuss only such question as concern everyone of us.

我们只谈与我们每人都有关的问题吧。

B:作宾语

Such people as you describe are rare nowadays.

你描绘的那种人如今很少见了。

I have the same trouble as you have.

我和你有同样的困难。

I want to have such a dictionary as he has.

我想要一本和他的一样的字典。

C:作表语

I have never seen such kind of girl as she is.
我从未见过像她这样的女孩.（as作表语）

【2】关系代词as引导非限制性定语从句，代替/修饰前面先行词为整句话的内容

(1)位于主句之前(从句在主句之前，as作从句的宾语）

As everyone knows ,China is a beautiful country with a long history .

每个人都知道，中国是一个有着悠久历史的美丽国家。

As everybody knows, Shakespeare was a great English writer.

众所周知，莎士比亚是伟大的英国作家。

As we know, smoking is harmful to one's health.

正如我们所知道的，吸烟对我们身体健康有害

(2)位于主句与从句之间(从句在主句中间，as作从句的宾语）

She , as we all know, can speak three foreign languages.

正如我们都知道的那样,她会说3门外语.

The earth , as we know , moves round the sun .

地球，我们都知道，围着太阳转。

John, as you know, is a famous writer.

正如你所知道的，约翰是一明著名作家。

(5)关系代词whose引导定语从句

The girl whose hair is golden is from England.

=The girl the hair of whom is golden is from England.

=The girl of whom the hair is golden is from England

头发金色的那个女孩是英国人。

The house whose doors(of which the doors) are green is an office building.

门是绿色的那座房子是办公楼。

The book, whose cover is broken, is not mine.

这本书不是我的书，且这个封面破损了。

There is a mysterious lake at the foot of the hill, whose depth has never been measured.

山脚下有个神秘的湖，其深度从未被测量过

(6)关系副词when引导定语从句

A:引导限制性定语从句

I will forever cherish the days when I studied abroad.

我会永远怀念我留学的那些日子。

B:引导非限制性定语从句

We'll graduate in July, when we will be free.

我们将于七月份毕业,到那时我们就自由了。

(7)关系副词where引导定语从句

A:引导限制性定语从句

Let’s find a place where we can have a picnic.

让我们找一个我们可以做野餐的地方。

Last week we travelled to Beijing, where there are many places of interest.

我们上周去了北京旅游,那儿有很多名胜古迹。