1、連接詞的作用不同。 同位語從句的連接詞that只起將同位語從句與先行詞之間的連接作用,不在從句中擔任任何句子成分。引導定語從句的連接詞是關系詞,它們除了連接從句的作用外,還在定語從句中充當一定的句子成分,如主語、賓語、定語、表語等。另外,同位語從句的連接詞只有that一個,所以which , who , whose , whom , when , where , why等連接詞引導的從句統統不是同位語從句而是定語從句。
The order that we should send a few people to help the other groups was received yesterday.我們應派幾個人去幫別的幾個小組的命令昨天收到了。(同位語從句,是對order的具體解釋,that雖不作成分,但不能省略。)
The order that we received yesterday was that we should send a few people to help the other groups.我們昨天收到的命令是我們應該派幾個人去幫助別的幾個小組。(定語從句,是名詞order的修飾語,that在從句中作received的賓語,可以省略。)