(壹)the way作先行詞，後接定語從句
以下3種表達都是正確的。例如：“我喜歡她笑的樣子。”
1. the way+ in which +從句：I like the way in which she smiles.
2. the way+ that +從句：I like the way that she smiles.
3. the way + 從句(省略了in which或that)：I like the way she smiles.
上述句子都正確，意思也完全相同。但是，the way之後用in which引導的定語從句最為正式;省略了that或in which是最自然、最常用的表達;然而，the way之後用that引導定語從句，最不常見。
註意，在先行詞the way之後不用how。因為引導定語從句的關系詞是that而不是how,因此，《現代英語慣用法詞典》中所給出的下面兩個句子是錯誤的：
This is the way how it happened.
This is the way how he always treats me.
(二)the way的語義
1. the way=as(像)
Please do it the way I’ve told you.請按照我告訴妳的那樣做。
I'm talking to you just the way I'd talk to a boy of my own.我和妳說話就像和自己孩子說話壹樣。
Plant need water the way they need sun light. 植物需要水就像它們需要陽光壹樣。
2. the way=how(怎樣，多麽)
No one can imagine the way he misses her.沒人能夠想象出他是多麽想念她!
I want to find out the way a volcano has formed.我想弄清楚火山是怎樣形成的。
He was filled with anger at the way he had been treated.他因遭受如此待遇而怒火滿腔。
That’s the way she speaks.她就是那樣講話的。
3. the way=according as (根據)
The way you answer the questions, you must be an excellent student.從妳回答問題來看，妳壹定是名優秀的學生。
The way most people look at you, you'd think a trashman was a monster.從大多數人看妳的目光中,妳就知道垃圾工在他們眼裏是怪物。
The way I look at it, it’s not what you do that matters so much.依我看，重要的並不是妳做什麽。
I might have been his son the way he talked.根據他說話的樣子，好像我是他的兒子壹樣。
One would think these men owned the earth the way they behave.他們這樣行動，人家竟會以為他們是地球的主人。
The boy must be a stranger here, the way he looks into the shop windows.根據男孩向商店櫥窗張望德樣子，看來他壹定是這裏的陌生人。
4.the way=because(因為)
No wonder that girl looks down upon me, the way you encourage her.難怪那個女孩看不起我, 原來是妳慫恿的。
How silly she is, the way she asks questions about this and that!她不斷地問這問那，顯得好不愚蠢!
5. the way=that(引導名詞性從句)
It was boring the way he kept complaining to his wife.他壹直向他妻子抱怨令人心煩。
It was shameful the way she was treated. 她竟然受到那樣的對待，太不象話了。
It's a crime the way he bullies his children. 像他那樣欺負自己的孩子真缺德。
拓展：定語重句講解
壹、定義
用來修飾句子中的名詞或代詞或其短語的從句，就叫做定語從句。其實，就是拿句子來做名詞、代詞或是其短語的定語。如：
It's a book.
I bought the book yesterday.
以上兩句話中，都有book壹詞，所以可以用定語從句把兩句話連起來。即：
It's the book that I bought yesterday.
這句話中that引導的I bought yesterday就是壹個定語從句，用來修飾the book。
二、兩個概念
要想學好定語從句，得先弄清楚兩個基本概念，即：先行詞和關系詞。
(壹)先行詞
所謂先行詞，就是指定語從句所修飾的成分。這個名稱倒是挺形象的，為什麽?因為先行詞永遠出現在定語從句的前面，總是先走壹步的，呵呵!
(二)關系詞
所謂關系詞，就是指用來連接定語從句的詞語。關系詞可以分為關系代詞和關系副詞。需要註意的是，關系代詞或關系副詞都要在從句中充當成分的，所以是不可或缺的，盡管當關系代詞在從句中作賓語時，經常可以省略(本文會繼續講到這個情況)。
我們在來看壹下在第壹節裏出現的句子：
It's the book that I bought yesterday.
句中的the book就是先行詞，被後面的從句I bought yesterday所修飾。而that就是關系代詞，用來連接I bought yesterday，同時又在從句作bought的賓語，而且可以省略。
定語從句的學習，其實就是有關根據先行詞的`特點選擇合適的關系詞的學習。
三、分類
按照定語從句與先行詞的關系緊密與否，可以分為限定性定語從句和非限定性定語從句。
(壹)限定性定語從句
限定性定語從句對先行詞起著修飾限定作用，是不可或缺的。如：
These are the apples that/which they sent us two days ago.
(二)非限定性定語從句
非限定性定語從句對先行詞起著補充說明作用，可要可不要。非限定性定語從句都會被逗號與先行詞隔開。如：
They have to walk to the South Pole, which is out of a plane's reach.
註意
1、當先行詞具有唯壹性的時候，就只能采用非限定性定語從句，否則就會產生歧義或誤解。如：
限定性定語從句：His wife who is now in Paris is one of my old classmates.
非限定性定語從句：His wife, who is now in Paris, is one of my old classmates.
因為限定性定語從句對先行詞起著修飾限定作用，所以具有特指功能，所以第壹句中的限定性定語從句意味著是特指他在巴黎的妻子，其潛臺詞就是他不只壹個妻子，也許在上海或者在紐約等其他地方還有妻子。
而非限定性定語從句只對先行詞起著補充說明作用，沒有特指功能，所以第二句中的非限定性定語從句只是用來補充說明他的妻子現在人在巴黎這個事實。
2、that和why不能用來引導非限定性定語從句
that不能用來連接非限定性定語從句，具體的請看下壹節的內容。
而why因為總是緊跟先行詞reason，所以也不能用於引導非限定性定語從句。如：
That's the reason why he was late for school this morning.
在reason和why之間，不能插入逗號。
四、關系代詞
英語裏能夠用來連接定語從句的關系代詞主要有：
that：表人或物
which：表物
who：表人(主格或賓格)
whom：表人(賓格)
whose：表人或物(所有格)
(壹)that引導的定語從句
that引導定語從句時，其先行詞既可能是人，也可能是物。如：
This is the photo that I took during the trip in France.
He is the man that will visit our school next week.
註意
1、當that的先行詞表物時，可以用which來替換。此外，當that在從句中作賓語時，可以省略。如：
This is the photo that/which I took during the trip in France.
This is the photo I took during the trip in France.
句中的先行詞the photo在從句I took during the trip in France中作took的賓語，所以可以省略。
2、不能用that的情況
1)當定語從句以介詞開頭時，壹般不用that，而要用which或whom。如：
This is the pet dog for which I paid five hundred pounds.
She is the girl to whom I talked just now.
兩句話的定語從句分別以介詞for和to開頭，所以後面不能再用that，而要采用which和whom。
2)當先行詞是that時，往往用which來替換。如：
We have that which we need.
此時，that which往往可以用what來替換，因此我們可以把上面的句子改為：
We have what we need.
3)在非限定性定語從句中。如：
錯誤：His aunt, that is our maths teacher, often gives us candies as gifts.
正確：His aunt, who is our maths teacher, often gives us candies as gifts.
3、只能用that的情況
1)當先行詞為everything、all，little、much等不定代詞時。如：
All that glitters is not gold.
2)當先行詞被all、every、no、any、some、little、much、one修飾時。如：
Don't waste any water that is reusable.
3)當先行詞被the only、the very、the same、the last修飾時。如：
They are the only students that will attend the meeting.
4)當先行詞被序數詞或形容詞最高級修飾時。如：
This is the first time that I have ever heard about a ghost.
5)當先行詞是be的表語或there be 的主語時。如：
There are five pens that will be on display tomorrow.
6)當先行詞有人又有物時。如：
We don't like the teacher and his lessons that are not interesting at all.
7)當主句是以who或which及其-ever結構開頭的特殊疑問句時。如：
Whoever that breaks the law will be punished.
4、多用who、不用that的情況
1)當先行詞為anyone、one、ones時。如：
He is the one who will teach us English.
2)當先行詞為those、he和people時。如：
Those who want to ask questions need to write them down first.