主谓一致:即句中谓语动词的数必须与主语的人称和数取得一致。常见规则:
1. 谓动常用单数形式的情况,主语为:
1) 不可数名词、可数名词的单数形式;
2) 动词不定式、动名词、单个主从;
3) 书名、剧名、国名、组织机构等的复数名词;
4) 表示时间、距离、价格、度量等的复数名词作为整体;
5) 以ics结尾的学科名词:politics, physics, mathematics, economics(经济学), statistics等;
6) 用and连接两个单数名词,且被each, every, no, many a修饰, 如:every boy and every girl;
7) 由and连接两个名词,且属同一概念时;
8) 两个单数名词由and连接,前只有一个冠词,表示“兼”;
9) one of…, one in / out of…, more than one;the number of +复数名词;
10) 当定从的先行词为the (only) one of…;
11) 在强调句It is / was …that / who…中;
12) one and a half 后面接复数名词,谓语动词常用单数。
2. 谓动常用复数形式的情况,主语为:
1) 复数名词;由and或both…and…连接两个名词
2) cattle, the police, people等
3) the + 形容词 / 分词,代表一类人或物
4) A number of…, numbers of…
5) Quantities of / Amounts of…
3. 谓动须根据主语具体情况而定:
1) all, most, some, half, part, rest, a lot of, plenty of, a quantity of, 百分比、分数等:指代可数名词,谓动用复数;指代不可数名词,则用单数。
2) 表示集体名称的名词audience, company(伙), band, crowd, club, class, group, family, public, team, population, party等:强调整体,谓词用单数;如指具体成员,则用复数。
3) 单、复同形的名词,如sheep, fish, deer, means等,则根据其具体数而定。如:当every/a means作主语时,谓语动词用单数,而all means作主语时,谓语动词则用复数。
4) 在“先行词+定从”结构中,在从句中作主语,定从谓动在人称、数上与先行词保持一致。
5) 由what引导主从,谓动一般用单数,但若表语为复数形式,则谓动用复数。
6) 由a kind of, this kind of, many kinds of ,或名词+ of this kind 等以及与kind 意思相近的type , sort 等构成的类似短语作主语时,谓语动词与of 前的名词保持一致。
4. 就近原则:即谓动由靠近它的名词决定其单复数。主要用于下列结构中:
There / Here / Such + v. + n.
Not…but…; Not only…but also…
or; Either…or…; Neither…nor…
5. 就远原则:当along with, as well as, rather than, but, except, besides, with, together with, like, including, in addition to等连接两个名词时,谓动由前面的名词决定其单复数。
巩固练习
1. No one in the department but Tom and I ______that the director is going to resign.
A. knows B. know C. have knows D. am to know
2. One thousand dollars ______ a lot of money.
A. are B. is C. were D. was
3. In our country, every boy and every girl the equal right to go to school.?
A. has??? B. have??? C. is??? D. are?
4. When and where to build the new factory yet.
A. have not been decided? B. is not decided? C. are not decided? D. has not been decided?
5. What I want an interesting book while what he wants two cups of coffee.?
A. is; is?? B. are; is C. is; are?? D. are; are?
6. A poet and artist ______ coming to speak to us about Chinese literature and painting tomorrow.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
7. The cattle ______ sold abroad so that the farmers have earned a lot of money.
A. has B. has been C. have D. have been
8. This pair of trousers my sister. My trousers .?
A. is belonged to; is being washed?? B. belongs to; are being washed?
C. belong to; is washed????? D. are belonging to; has been washed?
9. --- either he or I fit for the job
--- Neither he nor you .??
A. Am; are?? B. Is; are?? C. Are; are?? D. Is; is?
10. Truth and honesty ______ always the best policy.
A. are B. is C. have been D. was
11. of the land in that district covered with trees and grass.
A. Two-fifth; is B. Two-fifth; are
C. Two-fifths; is D. Two-fifths; are
12. This kind of apples ______ good, but apples of that kind ______.
A. tastes; don’t B. tastes; doesn’t C. taste; don’t D. taste; doesn’t
13. More than one boy ______ for going to Internet café without being permitted.
A. have punished B. have been punished
C. has punished D. has been punished
14. He is the only one of the students who ______ a winner of scholarship for three years.
A. is B. are C. have been D. has been
15. This is one of the best books that ______ appeared this year.
A. has B. have C. is D. are
16. The population of China larger than that of the USA.?
A. were?? B. are?? C. is?? D. was?
17. The young ______ eaten up almost everything; one and a half bananas______ left on the table.
A. is; are B. are; is C. has; have been D. have; has been
18. The number of people invited fifty, but a number of them absent for different reasons.
A. were; was B. was; was C. was; were D. were; were
19. Every means tried, but there is no result.
A. have been B. has been?? C. will be?? D. were
20. Between the two buildings ______ our library.
A. is standing B. are standing C. stand D. stands
Keys: 1-5 ABADC 6-10 ADBBB 11-15 CADDB 16-20 CDCBD