一、 语法一致的原则 语法一致是指主语为单数形式,谓语也用单数形式;主语为复数形式,谓语也用复数形式。 1、动词不定式或动词–ing形式作主语 动词不定式或动词–ing形式作主语时,谓语动词用单数。 To see is to believe. 眼见为实。 Asking costs nothing. 多问不吃亏。 2、从句作主语 名词性从句作主语时,谓语动词一般用单数形式。 That they will win is certain. 他们一定会赢是确信无疑的。 When they could finish the task is not known yet. 他们何时能完成任务还未知。 Whoever wants to join in the competition is asked to sign his / her name here. 要参加比赛的人请在这里签名。 【小贴士】 但what / whoever / which引导的主语从句充当主语时,有时要看what / whoever / which所指代的词的意义来决定谓语动词的数。 What he said is true.他所说的是真的。 What we need are more volunteers. 我们所需要的是更多的志愿者。 3、“more than one 或many a + 单数名词”作主语 “more than one / many a +单数名词”作主语时,尽管其意义复数,但谓语动词还是用单数形式。但“more than + 复数名词”或“more + 复数名词 + than one”作主语时,谓语动词要用复数。 More than one student has read Rowling’s Harry Porter. 许多学生看过罗琳的《哈利•波特》。 Many a student has seen the film Titanic twice. 许多学生看了电影《铁达尼号》两次。 More than two hundred people have turned out at the meeting. 两百多人退出了会场。 More students than one are against the decision. 不止一个学生反对这个决定。 【小帖士】 “one or two +复数名词”作主语,谓语动词用复数,但“a / one + 单数名词+ or two”作主语,谓语动词单数、复数均可。 One or two days are enough for me to finish the work.
一两天的时间就足够我去完成这工作。 Only a / one word or two is / are needed here. 这里只需要一两个字。 4、用and连接的主语 由and连接的两个或两个以上的单数名词或不可数名词作主语时,谓语动词一般用复数形式。但如表示单一的概念时,谓语动词则用单数形式(见本章第二节“意义一致的原则”)。 Rice and wheat are grown in China. 中国种植小米和小麦。 Both his father and his mother are advanced workers. 他的爸爸和妈妈都是先进工作者。 5、用with, as well as等词连接的主语 “名词+ together with/as well as + 名词”结构作主语时,不能看作是并列主语,together with或as well as之后的名词是主语的附加成分,句子的谓语动词不受附加成分中名词单复数的影响,仍和第一个名词的数保持一致。 Our monitor as well as some of our classmates has been to the USA. 我们的班长和几位同学已去过美国了。 The bat together with the balls was stolen. 球拍和球都被偷走了。 【百宝箱】 英语中有很多属于“A + as well as + B”这种结构,谓语动词应与主语A 保持一致。 A together with B A和B A rather than B A而不是B A along with B A与B A except/but B A除了B A including B A包括B A like/unlike B A像/不像B那样 A in addition to B A加上B A no less than B A如B一样 6、关系代词作主语 定语从句中关系代词who, that, which等作主语时,其谓语动词的数与先行词的数一致。 AIDS is a disease that breaks down the body immune system and leaves a person defenseless against infections and illnesses. 艾滋病是一种破坏人体免疫系统,使人处于失去抗感染、抗疾病状态的病症。 Those who have finished the work can go home first. 那些已完成工作的人可以先回家。 I, who am your teacher, will do my best to help you. 我是你的老师,我会全力帮助你的。 【点津坊】 若先行词为“one of + 复数名词”时,从句中的谓语动词用复数;若先行词为“the only one of + 复数名词”时,从句中的谓语动词用单数。 He was one of the students who were given a prize. 他是那些获奖的学生之一。 I was the only one in my office who was invited. 我是办公室里唯一受到邀请的人。 7、由两部分构成的物体名词作主语 由两部分组成的表示衣物或工具的名词做主语时,谓语通常用复数,此类名词有:glasses(眼镜),spectacles(眼镜),shoes(鞋子),boots(靴子),sneakers(轻便运动鞋);trousers / pants(裤子),compasses(指南针),chopsticks(筷子),scissors(剪刀),socks(短袜),stockings(长袜),clothes(衣服)等。但这类词如用a pair of修饰时,谓语动词用单数。 My glasses were broken while playing football yesterday. 昨天踢足球时我的眼镜被打烂了。 A pair of shoes is lying under the bed. 床底下有一双鞋。 Chopsticks were first introduced to Japan in the 3rd century A.D. and thus ended the practice of taking food directly by hand. 公元三世纪,筷子传到了日本,并从此结束了人们直接用手拿食物的做法。 【小帖士】 当a pair (of)表示“两个人”时,其谓语动词通常用复数;当表示“一对夫妇”时,谓语用单复数都行。 A pair of students are practising speaking English there. 两个学生正在那里练习讲英语。 The happy pair is/are going to Europe for their honeymoon. 这对快乐的新婚夫妇打算去欧洲度蜜月。 8、this kind / sort of +名词作主语 表示一个种类的“kind of + 名词”后面常用单数谓语动词,而“复数名词+ of this kind”后面的谓语动词常用复数。 This kind / sort of question is very difficult. 这种问题很难。 Questions of this kind / sort are very difficult. 这种问题很难。 9、amount和quantity结构作主语 “a large amount of + 不可数名词”结构作主语时,谓语动词用单数形式;“large amounts of +不可数名词”结构作主语时,谓语动词用复数形式。类似的结构还有“a large quantity of +可数/不可数名词”结构(谓语用单数)以及“large quantities of +可数/不可数名词”结构(谓语用复数)。 A large amount of damage was done in a short time. 在短时间内就造成了巨大的损失。 Large amounts of money were spent on the bridge. 这座桥花了一大笔钱。 A large quantity of pure water is needed there. 那里需要大量的纯净水。 Large quantities of water are needed for cooling purposes. 需要大量的水来降温。 10、名词所有格作主语 指商店、工场、住宅等的名词所有格作主语时,后面往往省略了shop / home等名词,如the baker’s(面包店),the barber’s(理发店),the doctor’s(诊所),the Zhang’s(张先生家)等,谓语动词一般用单数。但表示店铺名称的名词所有格,如?????等,谓语动词往往用复数。 My uncle’s is not far from here. 我叔叔家离这里不远。 The baker’s was destroyed in a big fire last year. 那家面包店在去年一场大火中被烧毁了。 McDonald’s have a lot of delicious food to sell. 麦当劳有许多好吃的食物出售。 【试题播报】 E-mail, as well as telephones, _______ an important part in daily communication. A. is playing B. have played C. are playing D. play 【分析】该题目考查主语加附加成分时与谓语的一致原则。主语为单数时,后面附加成分的单复数不影响谓语动词的单复数。选项B、C、D都是复数形式,故答案为A。
二、意义一致的原则 句子的谓语动词和主语的数的一致是根据该主语的意义,而不是根据语法形式决定的。当主语形式为单数,但意义为复数时,谓语动词要用复数形式;但主语形式为复数,而意义却为单数时,谓语动词用单数形式。 1、无标记复数名词作主语 people(人们), cattle(牛群),poultry(家禽), police(警察),youth(青年)是无标记复数名词,即没有复数标记但用作复数的名词,其谓语动词总是用复数形式。 The police were sent to the spot to keep order immediately. 警察立即被派往现场维持秩序。 Cattle are one cause of the problem. 养牛是这个问题的一个原因。 2、单复数同形的名词作主语 英语中一些单复数同形的名词作主语时,应根据其表达的意义来决定谓语动词的单复数,常见的这类名词有sheep(绵羊),deer(鹿),fish(鱼),means(方法),works(工厂),species(种类),Chinese(中国人),Japanese(日本人);Swiss(瑞士人);crossroads(十字路口);series(系列)等。 The chemical works was set up in 1980. 这家化工厂于1980年建的。 These glass works are far from the city center. 这些玻璃厂离市中心很远。 Every pos