1)Whoever helped me has gone.
2)Whoever answered the telephone was a tall boy.
3)You can do what you like.
书上说以上句1)和句2)中的whoever=the person who, 而不是=any person who。说句3)中的what=whatever。
于是,我的疑问产生了:
a) whoever不是应该“总是“等于any person who 吗?为什么这2句可以等于the person who 呢?the person who=who 吗?
b) 一直以来,认为what和whatever是不同的,what=the thing that, whatever=any thing that,为什么句3)中的what=whatever呢?
c) 由此联想到whichever, 是不是有时是any thing that,而有时应该是the thing that=which呢?如何区分判断呢?
第一句和第二句中的whoever的用法the freedictionary是这样解释的:
You also use whoever to refer to someone whose identity you do not know. 从解释可知whoever可以指someone,而不是anyone,只不过这个someone的身份你不知道而已。即有一种用法whoever不是非肯定词,而是肯定词,用于肯定语境。所以在意义上就等于the person who 了。下面词典例句和你的句子是同一个类型。现代英语不能把who用作融合型关系代词,如果是早期英语这里就用who (the person who)。所以你可以认为这个whoever是现代英语代替融合型关系代词who使用的。词典例句:
Whoever answered the telephone was a very charming woman.
第三句的what用在所谓自由选择结构中(free choice construction),wh-ever词的ever在自由选择结构中可以省略ever。所谓自由选择结构是指wh-词被 you like, you want, you wish, you please等限制,即主语被给予自由选择的机会。例如:You can take what(ever) you wish. You can take which(ever) book you want.
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