【问】 1. Finally，the thief handed everything____he had stolen to the police.

A. which B. what

C.whatever D.that(全国高考英语试题，1987，标准答案为D)。

2. All____is needed is a supply of oil.

A. the thing B. that

C.what D.which(全国高考英语试题，1989，标准答案为B)。

上面两道题均把which判为错误。但是，先行词everything，something，all等用which作关系代词真的就是错误吗?

【答】 用which作all，everything，something，anything，nothing的关系代词并不是错误，它只是没有that用得那么普遍而已。还是让我们引用权威语言学家们的论述来作证明。

“That as subject and that or zero as object are preferred to which when the antecedent isnonpersonal all，anything，everything，nothing，little，or much...”(CGEL，P.1251)

(“当先行词是非人称的all，anything，everything，nothing，little或much时，that与which相比，人们更喜欢用that作主语，用that或零关系代词作宾语。”)

由此看来，使用that或which只是个使用频率问题，而不是正误问题。

下面让我们用实例来证明这一点：

1. Then he said something which astonished his guests.

随后他讲了一件使他的客人感到吃惊的事情。

2. Matter is the name given to everything which has weight and occupies space.

物质是赋予具有重量和占据空间的一切东西的名称。

3.This is all which Mr.Black could offer.(《新编英语语法》)

这就是布莱克先生所能提供的一切。

4. Have you anything(which/that) you’d like to sell? (Chambers)

你有什么东西想卖吗?