一、 指导原则

　　主谓一致指“人称”和“数”方面的一致关系。大多数学生往往会在掌握主语和随后的谓语动词之间的一致问题上遇到困难。一般情况下,主谓一致关系由以下三个原则支配:

　　语法一致原则

　　意义一致原则

　　就近原则

　　二、主谓一致

　　1. 并列主语的主谓一致

　　(1)两个单数名词用and连接,表示不同的概念时,谓语动词用复数。如:

　　Wind and water are different forms of energy.

　　(2)两个单数名词用and连接,表示同一人、同一物或同一概念,或表示不可分的整体时,谓语仍然用单数。如:

　　①Trial and error is the source of our knowledge.

　　② The farmer and writer is going to deliver us a speech next month.

　　(3)被every,each,many a,no等限定的单数主语由and连接时,谓语动词仍用单数。其中后一个限定词可省去。如:

　　① Each man and (each) woman there is asked to help.

　　② Every flower and(every) bush is to be cut down.

　　(4) 一个单数名词被几个用and连接的并列形容词所修饰时,可以指一件事或几件事,这种名词作主语时,要根据意义一致的原则决定谓语动词的数。如:

　　English and British literature are appealing to many Chinese readers.

　　(5) 由and连接的两个what从句作主语时,要根据意义一致原则决定谓语动词的数。如:

　　① What he says and does do not agree.

　　② What he says and does does not concern me.

　　(6) 由or,nor,either...or,neither...nor,not only... but(also)连接的并列主语,通常根据就近原则,谓语动词的单复数要和与它邻近的主语的数保持一致。如:

　　① One or two friends are coming to see me this evening.

　　② Neither he nor I am going to take part in the school sports meeting.

　　(7)单数名词 + with,along with,together with,rather than,but,besides,as well as等所跟的名词作主语时,谓语动词仍用单数。如:

　　① Who else,besides Mr. Smith,wants to go there?

　　② Diligence as well as good luck is the key to success.

　　2. 某些名词作主语时的主谓一致

　　(1)集体名词committee,council,crew,crowd,family,gang,government,group,mob,staff,team,union等,在意义上是复数,但在语法形式上是单数,这类名词作主语时的主谓一致问题往往遵循“语法一致”或“意义一致”原则。如:

　　① Our class is made up of 31 boys and 23 girls.

　　② Our class were having an English lesson when the headmaster came into the classroom.

　　(2)由两个相同部分构成的物体名词,如trousers,pants,jeans,compasses,glasses,scissors等作主语时,谓语动词用复数。但如果这类名词前用了a pair of 来修饰,谓语动词的单复数往往取决于pair的数。如:

　　① These trousers need cleaning.

　　② This pair of trousers on the shelf is mine.

　　3. 数词与量词作主语时的主谓一致

　　(1)表示时间、重量、距离、价格、体积等名词的复数作主语时,通常作为整体看待,后接单数动词。如:

　　① Twenty years is a long time in one’s life.

　　② Fifty miles was covered by him in a single night.

　　(2)分数和百分数修饰可数或不可数名词作主语时,谓语动词是用单数还是复数取决于它们所表示的意义。如:

　　① About one third of the books are well worth reading.

　　② A large percentage of the crop has been damaged during the storm.

　　(3) 由kind,form,type,sort,species,portion(一份),series,quantity of 修饰的主语,其谓语动词的数取决于这些名词的单复数而不是它们后面所跟的名词。如:

　　① This kind of books written by this writer sells well.(=Books of this kind written by this writer sell well.)

　　② Some new forms of art are going to be discussed at the next meeting.

　　(4)由a number of,a variety of,a group of 修饰的名词作主语时,谓语动词要用复数形式。但是the number of和the variety of修饰名词作主语时,谓语动词用单数形式。如:

　　① A number of students in our class are from the countryside.

　　② The number of students who are from the countryside is large.

　　③ There are a variety of goods on sale in that supermarket.

　　④ The variety of goods on sale in that supermarket is amazing.

　　(5) “many a,more than one+名词”作主语时,尽管从意义上看作复数,但谓语动词用单数。如:

　　① Many a house was destroyed in the terrible earthquake that happened in Wenchuan.

　　② More than one student in our class has known the secret.

　　4. 从句中的主谓一致 1)在用形式主语 it 的句子中或存在 it 作主语的强调结构中,谓语动词总是用单数。如:

　　It was he who taught us English last term.

　　(2)由what引导的从句作主语时,谓语动词一般用单数。但表示复数意义时,谓语动词用复数。另外,用其他名词性从句或非限定动词短语作主语时,谓语动词通常用单数。如:

　　①What he has said leaves much for us to think about.

　　②What we need is more time.

　　③What we need are more food and water

　　supplies at this urgent moment.

　　5. there be 句型中的主谓一致

　　(1)there be句型在英语中表示“某地有某人或某物”时,be的数主要取决于后面主语的数。如:

　　① There is a book on the desk.

　　② There are some apples in the basket.

　　(2)如果有两个或两个以上的主语,谓语动词则采用就近一致原则。如:

　　There is a table,two benches and some chairs in the room.

　　相关练习

　　1. It is he,rather than you,______for the accident.

　　A. who is to be blamed

　　B. who are to be blamed

　　C. who is to blame

　　D. who are to blame

　　2. In the deep river _______,some of which are dangerous to people’s lives.

　　A. live many crocodiles

　　B. many crocodiles live

　　C. do many crocodiles live

　　D. many crocodiles do live

　　3. It is said that the worker and writer together with some famous writers,who _______ from Japan and America,_______ going to give us a speech on how to write well.

　　A. is;are B. are;are

　　C. is;is D. are;is

　　4. Many a country_______highly of the important part China plays in the international affair,which ________us feel very excited.

　　A. speak; make B. speak; makes

　　C. speaks; make D. speaks; makes

　　5. Across the Yangtze River_______more than one bridge,the Nanjing Changjiang River being the first one.

　　A. lay B. lie

　　C. lies D. laid

　　6. Quantities of water_______badly needed in the drought-stricken area and the amount of water and food supplies_______surprising.

　　A. is; is B. is; are

　　C. are; is D. are; are

　　7. This kind of shoes which _______ well

　　_______ made in China.

　　A. sell; is B. sell; are

　　C. sells; is D. sells; are

　　8. He is the only one of the students _______ at the school assembly.

　　A. who was praised B. who were praised

　　C. has praised D. have been praised

　　9. It is commonly believed that diligence as well as hard work _______one’s dream.

　　A. help make B. helps live

　　C. helps come true D. help achieve

　　10. Since we always have to choose what to buy with our money,more than one advertiser _____ different ways to get us to choose the things ________ advertising.

　　A. use; they are B. uses; he is

　　C. uses; they are D. use; he is

　　Keys:1-5 CADDC 6-10 CAABB