主谓一致(Subject-verb Concord)

主谓一致指主语和谓语动词之间在“人称”和“数”方面的一致关系，可分为语法一致、意义一致和就近一致。 1. 语法一致

如果名词中心词是复数，动词就用复数形式；如果名词中心词不是复数，而是单数名词或不可数名词，动词便用单数形式，这种一致关系叫语法一致。例如：

Both boys have their own merits. Few students are really lazy. Each boy has his own book. Every girl comes on time. Either answer is correct. Much effort is wasted. 2. 意义一致和就近原则

有时，主语和谓语动词的一致关系并非取决于语法上的单、复数形式，而是取决于主语的单、复数意义：比如有时主语在语法形式上并非复数，但有复数意义，随后的动词便用复数；反之主语在语法形式上是复数，而在意义上可视为单数，随后的动词也用单数，这种一致关系叫意义一致。例如： Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.

Fifty-six dollars was stolen from the cash register. (现金出纳机)

有时，谓语动词的单、复数形式决定于最靠近它的词语(主要指名词)的单、复数形式，这种一致关系叫就近原则。例如： Either my brother or my father is coming. Neither Julia nor I am going.

3. 以-s结尾的名词作主语的主谓一致问题

1> 以-ics结尾的学科名称

某些以-ics结尾的学科名称，如physics(物理学)，mathematics(数学)，mechanics(机械学)，optics(气学)，acoustics(声学)，politics(政治学)，statistics(统计学)，economics(经济学)，linguistics(语言学)，tactics(兵法)，athletics(体育学)等，通常作单数用。例如：

Acoustics is the science of sound.

2> 以-s结尾的地理名称

某些以-s结尾的地理名称，如果是国名，如the United States(美国)， the United Nations(联合国)，the Netherlands(荷兰)等系单一政治实体，用作单数。但若不是国名，而是群岛、山脉、海峡、瀑布等地理名称，如the West Indies(西印度群岛)，the Himalayas(喜马拉雅山脉)，the Straits of Gibraltar (直布罗陀海峡)等，用作复数。例如：

The Niagara Falls(尼亚加拉大瀑布) are perhaps the most famous waterfall

in the world.

3> 其他以-s结尾的名词

凡是由-ings结尾的名词，如clippings(剪下来的东西)，diggings(掘出的东西)，earnings(收入)，filings(锉屑)，lodgings(租住的房间)，surroundings(环境)，sweepings(扫拢的垃圾)等，通常用作复数。例如：

The clippings of the hedges are usually burt.

但也有例外，如tidings(消息)既可作复数，也可作单数。 Good tidings have cheered them up. The tidings has come a little too late.

4. 以集体名词作主语的主谓一致问题

1> 通常作复数的集体名词，如police，people，cattle，militia，poultry(家禽)，

vermin(害虫)等，谓语动词用复数。例如：

Such vermin as bugs and rats are hard to get rid of.

2> 通常作不可数名词的集体名词，如foliage，machinery，equipment，

furniture，merchandise(商品)等，谓语动词用单数。例如：

The merchandise has arrived undamaged.

3> 既可作单数也可作复数的集体名词，如audience，committee，class，crew(全

体船员或机组人员)，family，government，public等，如将该名词表示的集体视为一个整体，则动词用单数。例如： That group of soldiers is a top-notch fighting unit.

That group of soldiers have the best ratings of individual performance. 4> A committee,etc of +复数名词

如果主语是由“a committee of / a panel of / a (the ) board of + 复数名词”构成，随后的动词用单数。例如：

A panel of distinguished people has been chosen to judge this competition.

Exercise A

Select an appropriate number form in brackets:

1. Their earnings (comes, come) to 500 dollars a week.

2. Tidings (has, have) come that the British warship was sunk. 3. This pair of trousers (costs, cost) fifty dollars. 4. The New York Times (is, are) published daily.

5. The British police (has, have) only very limited powers. 6. That green foliage (was, were) restful.

7. The government (is, are) doing its best to boost production.

8. The government (has, have) discussed the matter for a long time but they have

shown no signs of reaching an agreement. 9. The football team (is, are) being organized.

10. The football team (is, are) having baths and (is, are) then coming back here for

tea.

11. That family (is. are) a very happy one.

12. The audience (is, are) listening to a Beethoven symphony.

13. The class (is, are) taking notes, (its, their) pens scribbling quickly over (its, their)

exercise books.

14. Can you see that huge flock of birds in the distance?

(It, They) (is, are) coming this way. 15. Poultry (is, are) dear in the city.

16. The public (was, were) convinced of his innocence. 5. 以并列结构作主语的主谓一致问题

1> 由or/nor/either…or/neither…nor/not only…but also连接的并列结构作主

语，随后的动词形式按照“就近原则”。例如： Either my father or my brothers are coming.

Not only the switches but also the old wiring has been changed.

2> 主语+as much as/rather than / more than / no less than等引导的从属结构，

随后的动词形式依主语本身的单复数而定。例如：

Some of the workers as much as the manager were responsible for the loss. 3> 主语+as well as / in addition to / with / along with / together with / except等

引导的词组时，其后的动词形式取决于主语本身的单复数。例如： The father, as well as his sons, is going to enroll. No one except two girls was late for dinner. The barn, in addition to the house, was burned.

6. 以表示数量概念的名词词组作主语的主谓一致问题

1> 如果数量概念被看作一个整体，动词用单数；如果被看作组成该数量的

个体,则动词用复数。例如：

Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.

These last three years have been full of surprises.

2> 如果作主语的名词词组是由“分数(或百分数)+of –词组”构成，其动词形

式依of-词组中名词类别而定。例如：

Two thirds of the swampland (沼泽地) has been reclaimed (开垦). Over sixty percent of the city was destroyed in the war. Thirty-five percent of the doctors were women.

3> 两数相减或相除，动词用单数；两数相加或相乘，动词可用单数，也可

用复数。例如：

Forty minus fifteen (40-15) leaves twenty-five. Forty divided by eight (40÷8) is five. Seven and five (7+5) makes/make twelve. Five times eight (5*8) is/are forty.

4> 如果主语由one in/one out of+复数名词构成，在正式语体中，动词用单数。

例如：

One in ten students has failed the exam. One out of twenty was badly damaged.

5> 如果主语是all of …，some of …，none of …，half of …，most of …，lots

of …，heaps of …，loads of …，plenty of …等表示非确定数量的名词词组时，其后的动词形式依of-词组中的名词类别而定。例如： All of the cargo was lost. All of the crew were saved. Lots of food is going to waste. Lots of people are waiting outside. 6> 如果主语是由a portion of，a series of，a pile of，a panel of，a kind /sort/ type

of， this kind /sort/ type of+名词构成，动词用单数。例如： A series of accidents has been reported. This kind of apples is highly priced.

7> 如果主语是由many a/ more than one+名词构成，动词用单数。例如：

Many a man has done his duty.

More than one game was lost.

7. 分句中的主谓一致问题

1> 以名词性wh-分句作主语

用what, who, why, weather, how等wh-词引导的名词性分句作主语，其后动词用单数。例如：

What caused the accident is a complete mystery. 2> 关系分句中的主谓一致问题

在one of+复数名词+关系分句结构中，动词用复数形式。例如： Joan is one of those people who go out of their way to be helpful.

如果在这类结构之前有定冠词the或者有the only等限定词，动词用单数形式。例如：

Keves is the only one of the players who has learned all the plays.

3> There be 句型中，谓语动词的单、复数形式取决于其后的主语。主语是

单数，动词用单数；主语是复数，动词用复数。例如： There are three routes you can take. There is a note left on the desk.

Exercise B

Select an appropriate verb form from the two given in brackets.

1. Milking the cows, in addition to several other chores,(was, were)his responsibility. 2. Each men and each woman there (is, are) asked to help. 3. Neither Lucy nor Carol (has, have) any money left. 4. Not only one, but all, of us (is, are) hoping to be there.

5. The ocean, as well as the gulf and the bay, (provides, provide) good fishing. 6. John, rather than his roommates, (is, are) to blame. 7. Two more dollars (is, are), missing from the morning. 8. This kind of cars (is, are) highly priced. 9. A number of pages (is, are) badly torn.

10. The number of pages assigned for daily reading (was, were) gradually increased to twelve.

11. All of the fruit (looks, look) ripe.

12. Many a person in these circumstances (has, have) hoped for a long break. 13. Every man, woman, and child (was, were) asked to contribute. 14. Five times seven (is, are) thirty-five.

15. Twenty-five from thirty-one (leaves, leave) six. 16. Five and eight (is, are) thirteen. 17. Six sevens (is, are) forty-two.

18. Three-quarters of the area (is, are) cultivated. 19. These type of cars (is, are) inexpensive, 20. The young (is, are) not always romantic.

21. Who was responsible for these accidents (is, are) not yet clear. 22. To know merely the main facts (is, are) not enough.

23. She’s the only one of these women who (pays, play) bridge well.

24. There (is, are) more than one member who (has, have) protested against the proposal.