一般说来，在定语从句中，先行词指人时，关系代词通常用who/that引导；而当先行词指物时，关系代词通常用that/which引导。而用which指人的情况出现甚少。但在下列几种情况下，当先行词指人时，定语从句中的关系代词用which,而不用who。现归纳如下：

　　一、当先行词强调人物的身份、地位时。

　　They talked like a foreigner which they hardly were.他们说起话来像个外国人，而他们根本就不是。

　　Bill pretended to be a cleaner which helped him to escape from prison.比尔装成清洁工，这可帮他逃出了监狱。

　　二、当先行词指婴幼儿、小孩时。

　　My elder sister had a baby which was a girl yesterday.我姐姐昨天生了个女孩。

　　He made a face to the child which was in the mother's arm.他对抱在母亲怀中的婴儿做了个鬼脸。

　　三、当先行词强调个人的职业特征而非强调人时。

　　He is a professor,which commands our great admiration.他是个教授，教授是让我们极为钦佩的。

　　After graduating from university, he became a lawyer,which his relations wanted him to be.大学毕业后，他当了律师，这也是亲属们想要他从事的职业。

　　四、当先行词强调个人的性格特征时。

　　He is the man which he was.他还是象过去那个老样子。

　　Bonny is quite different from the girl which I thought her to be.邦妮完全不是我曾认为的那种女孩。

　　五、当先行词是集体名词被看作一个整体时。

　　Yao Ming is very interested in American public which warmly supports him.姚明对热情支持他的美国民众很感兴趣。

　　I take great pride in the Western Chinese people which has a long history, a rich culture and glorious revolutionary tradition.我作为西部的中华民族感到骄傲自豪，这是个有悠久历史、灿烂文化和光荣革命传统的民族。

　　六、当先行词强调人的品德素养时。

　　Sun Nan is a successful singer which gets him high fame in China.孙楠是个成功的歌手，这使他在中国名声大震。

　　He is a gentleman which his little brother isn't.他很有绅士风度，他弟弟却没有。

　　(文/贺登全；英语辅导报高教版03~04学年度第31期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)