在句子中担当宾语的是一个从句时，这个从句就叫作宾语从句。宾语从句使用的连词、连接代词、连接副词等与主语从句和表语从句一样是that, whether, who, wh-+ever等词。

1.宾语从句的时态

值得注意的是，宾语从句和其他名词性从句不同，它的时态会受到主句时态的限制。

当主句是现在的时态时（一般现在时，现在进行时，现在完成时），从句的时态可根据实际情况而定（可以是任意时态）。当主句是过去的时态时（一般过去时，过去进行时），从句的时态要变为相应的过去的时态（一般过去时，过去进行时，过去将来时和过去完成时）。

【真题回放1】Each spouse retains whatever property he or she brought into the marriage, and jointly-acquired property is_____equally.

[A]invested

[B]divided

[C]donated

[D]withdrawn

解析　本句由两个并列句构成，通过and连接。在第一个并列句中, whatever property he or she brought into the marriage是由whatever引导的宾语从句；主句是一般现在时，从句是一般过去时。[A]invested（投资）；[B]divided（分配；分开）；[C]donated（捐赠）；[D]withdrawn（撤出，提取）。根据语义应该是共同财产被（夫妻双方）平分，因此选择divided。

译文　配偶双方都会保留各自带入婚姻的任何财产，而且共同财产需要被平分。

当主句是过去的时态时（一般过去时、过去进行时），从句的时态要变为相应的过去的时态（一般过去时、过去进行时、过去将来时和过去完成时）。

【真题回放2】The study_____found that the genes for smell were something shared in friends but not genes for immunity.

[A]again

[B]also

[C]instead

[D]thus

解析　that引导一个宾语从句。宾从中包含一个省略，完整的句子应该是the genes for smell were something shared in friends but genes for immunity（were not something shared in friends）。主句用一般过去时，从句根据实际情况也用的一般过去时。空所在的句子开头用“The study……”显然这是对上文话题的继续阐述，前文指出研究发现朋友与我们有1%的基因关系，而空所在句“the genes for smell were something shared in friends进一步详细讨论该话题，前后之间是顺接关系，故答案为[B]。

译文　研究也表明：嗅觉基因是朋友间共有的东西，而免疫基因则不是朋友间共有的。

2.介词宾语从句

（1）that引导的从句作介词的宾语。

介词后一般不能直接跟that引导的宾语从句，但以下几个介词除外：besides, but, except, in。其中，前三个介词与that连用，引导条件状语从句；in that引导原因状语从句。这些介词和后面的that已被当成固定搭配作复合连接词使用。

【例1】I could say nothing but that I was sorry.

译文　我除了说抱歉之外，没什么可说的。

【例2】I know nothing about him except that he is an engineer.

译文　除了知道他是一个工程师之外，我对他的情况一无所知。

【例3】He differed from other people in that he always looked farther ahead in his work.

译文　和别人不同的是，他在工作中总比别人看得远些。

（2）关联词引导的从句作介词宾语。(www.daowen.com)

【例】We were interested in whether it was possible to digitally enable microfinance, because it's actually kind of a tough system.

译文　我们感兴趣于是否能通过数字化来实现小额信贷，因为它本来就是严格的系统。

3.某些形容词后的介词宾语从句

在表示知觉、感情等的形容词如sure, afraid, glad, certain等之后，如果跟宾语从句，则省去介词，若跟名词作宾语，则不能省略介词。

【例1】I am afraid that I will be late.（=I am afraid of being late.）

译文　我恐怕要迟到了。

【例2】I am glad that my classmates will attend my birthday party.（=I am glad at my classmates’attending my birthday party.）

译文　我很高兴，我的同学将参加我的生日聚会。

补充拓展

不能省略关系词that的宾语从句基本情况有5种。

（1）当that引导的从句作learn, suggest, explain, agree, wonder, prove, mean, state, feel, hold等词的宾语时。

【例】He went on to explain that he was not too sure about two things—the grammar and some of the idioms.

译文　他继续解释说，他对语法和一些习语这两项不怎么有把握。

（2）当宾语从句较长时，往往不省略that。

【例】We all think that what the public is badly in need of is nothing but the development of economy.

译文　我们都认为民众所急需的不是别的，正是经济的发展。

（3）当宾语从句中的主语是this, that时，或者this, that作主语定语时, that不可以省略。

【例】Some people think that this part of Scotland with its lakes and mountains is more beautiful than the West of England.

译文　有些人认为，苏格兰这块地方有山有水，比英格兰西部更美丽。

（4）当宾语从句是双宾语中的直接宾语时, that不可省略。

【例】I’d love to remind you that this problem is very common and that you don’t need to worry about that.

译文　我想提醒你这个问题非常普遍，你没必要为此担心。

（5）当主句谓语动词与宾语从句被隔开时，不省略that。

【例】I realized at once that I had done wrong immediately she told me all about this.

译文　她一告诉我所有的事情，我就意识到我做错了。

【真题回放】Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will.

解析　that引导的从句that……War为宾语从句。因该从句较长，所以that不能省略。

译文　在独立战争期间，华盛顿目睹了黑人士兵的英勇，他开始相信人人生而平等。于是他不顾亲友的强烈反对，把赋予自家奴隶自由的决定写进了遗书。