淺談主謂一致

吳元培

“主謂一致”是中學英語中一個學習難點也是高考熱點之一，因此掌握該語法項目，對句子、篇章的理解以及寫作是非常重要的。主謂一致是指在英語句子中的謂語動詞在人稱和數上必須和主語保持一致。這種一致關系主要體現在：語法一致原則、意義一致原則和鄰近原則。

(一) 語法一致原則：是指謂語動詞的單、復數形式取決于主語中心名詞的單、復數形式，也就是形式上一致。

1．以單數名詞、不可數名詞以及代替它們的代詞作主語時，謂語動詞用單數形式；主語為復數形式時，謂語動詞用復數形式。

(1) We live day by day, but in the great things, the time of days and weeks _________ so small that a day is unimportant. (07'湖南卷)

A. is B. areC. has beenD. have been

Key:[A]

(2) Books of this kind ________ well. (99'上海卷)

A. sellB. sells C. are sold D. is sold

Key:[A]

2．用and 或both …and 連接兩個或兩個以上做主語的單數名詞，謂語用復數。

Mary and Catherine are close friends.

3．由"名詞＋and＋名詞"結構作主語，表示一個整體、同一種事物或同一人時，謂語動詞常用單數。

A poet and artist _______ coming to speak to us about Chinese literature and painting tomorrow afternoon. (06'江蘇卷)

A. isB. are C. was D. were

Key:[A]

類似的還有：a needle and thread; a horse and cart; a watch and chain; a coat and tie; a knife and fork; truth and honesty; medical help and cure ;bread and butter ; iron and steel等。

4．用 and 連接的兩個名詞若被 no; each; every; many a 修飾，則謂語動詞用單數。

(1) Each boy and each girl ______ to serve the people in the future .

A. wantB. have wanted

C. are wantingD. wantsKey:[D]

(2) Many a boy and many a girl has made such a funny experiment.

有時可將第二個every ／each ／no省略。

Each book and paper can be found in this room .

5．如果 and 后面加 no 或 not, 謂語也應與and 前面的主語保持一致。

My friend, and not hers, is chosen to join the army.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

6．表示“時間、距離、金錢、重量”等復數名詞作主語時，常被看作一個整體，謂語動詞用單數。

(1) A survey of the opinions of experts ______that three hours of outdoor exercise a week________good for ones health.(07'江西卷)

A. show; are B. shows; is

C. show; is D. shows; are Key:[B]

(2) One hundred dollars is a large sum for the poor.

如果將以上復數名詞作為個體看待時，謂語動詞常用復數。

Ten years have passed since I came to work in this school.

7．有些只有復數形式的名詞，如：chop-sticks ; trousers; shoes; gloves; glasses; scissors; compasses等名詞作主語時，其謂語動詞用復數形式；但是，當這些名詞前有pair時，謂語動詞則要與pair的數保持一致。

My glasses are old . I think this pair of glasses is better than mine .

Those two pairs of gloves were bought in Beijing .

8．主語后有as well as ; rather than ; including ; like ; with; together with; along with ; but ; except ;besides ; including ; no less than 等介詞短語時，謂語應與前面主語保持一致 。

(1) The father as well as his three children _______ skating on the frozen river every Sunday afternoon in winter.(06'遼寧卷)

A. is going B. go C. goes D. are going

Key:[C]

(2) All the employees except the manager ________ to work online at home. （04'廣東卷）

A. encouragesB. encourage

C. is encouragedD. are encouraged

Key:[D]

(3) The teacher, including his students, wants to have a picnic .

9．either, neither, each, every 或no + 單數名詞和由some, any, no, every 構成的復合不定代詞都作單數看待。

Each of the children has a new book.

No student and no teacher has ever heard of such a thing.

10．由“a lot of ; lots of; plenty of; the rest of; a large quantity of +名詞”構成的短語以及由“分數或百分數＋名詞”構成的短語作主語時，其謂語動詞的數要根據短語后面名詞的數而定。

(1) ______ of the land in that district _______ covered with trees and grass. （00'上海卷）

A. Two fifth; is B. Two fifth; are

C. Two fifths; isD. Two fifths; are

Key :[ C]

(2) As a result of destroying the forests , a large _______of desert _______ covered the land .(01'上海卷)

A. number; hasB. quantity; has

C. number; haveD. quantity; have

Key:[B]

(3) The manager entered the office and was happy to learn that four-fifths of the tickets ______ . (00'上海卷)

A. was booked B. had been booked

C. were bookedD. have been booked

Key:［B］

[注意] “quantities of +名詞”構成的短語作主語時，謂語動詞與quantities保持一致，其謂語動詞均用復數形式.

With more forests being destroyed, huge quantities of good earth ________ each year.（05'山東卷）

A. is washing away

B. is being washed away

C. are washing away

D. are being washed awayKey:[D]

11．由"few ; a few ; both; both of; a(large/ great) number of ; a good / great many ;one or two ; more than; the majority of +復數名詞"構成的短語作主語時，其謂語動詞的數要用復數形式。

但the quantity of +可數名詞復數或不可數名詞，the number of +可數名詞復數，the amount of +不可數名詞等構成的短語作主語，謂語動詞用單數，表示“……的數量/值”。

The number of people invited _______ fifty, but a number of them ________ absent for different reasons. (96'NMET)

A. were; was B. was; was

C. was; were D. were; were.Key:[C]

12．由“much; a little; a bit of ; a great/good deal of; a(large/ great/small) amount of +不可數數名詞”構成的短語作主語時，其謂語動詞的數要用單數形式。

A great amount of money has been spent on the projects .

13．在倒裝句中，謂語動詞應與后面的主語保持一致。

At the foot of the mountain ________ . (06'四川卷)

A. a village lieB .lies a village

C. does a village lie D. lying a village

Key:[B]

(二) 意義一致原則，指謂語動詞的數在意義上或意念上與主語保持一致。

1．以-ics結尾的學科名詞，如mathematics; politics; physics; economics 以及news等，形式上為復數，但它們作主語時，其謂語動詞要用單數形式。

Mathematics is my favourite subject.

2．復數名詞用作書，電影、戲劇、報刊、國家等名稱時，謂語動詞用單數。

The selected Poems of Li Bai was published long ago.

3．Means; cattle; aircraft; crossroads; works（工廠）; sheep; species ; Chinese; Japanese等單復數同形的名詞作主語時，其謂語動詞應視具體情況而定 。

(1) Every possible means ______ to prevent the air pollution, but the sky is still not clear.（00'上海春）

A. is usedB. are used

C. has been used D. have been used

Key :[ C]

(2) There is ______ at the foot of the hill.

A. a dangerous crossroad

B. dangerous crossroad

C. dangerous crossroads

D. a dangerous crossroadsKey :[ D]

4．含有算術運算的句子中，謂語多用單數，也可用復數。

Eight plus four is twelve.

Sixteen divided by four makes / is four.

5．定冠詞the + 形容詞或過去分詞, 表示一類人，常用有：rich; poor; living; dead; young; old; blind; sick; wounded; aged; disabled等，謂語動詞應用復數形式。

What a life the poor were living!

The wounded have been sent to hospital.

如果該形容詞指抽象概念，謂語動詞常用單數形式。

The true is to be distinguished from the false.

The unexpected has happened.

6．當動名詞短語、不定式短語和從句作主語時，謂語動詞用單數。如果用 and 連接兩個從句或短語作主語，則需看是表示一個整體還是不同的兩件事；從句作主語時有時則需根據表語來判定。

When and where to build the new factory________ yet. (91'NMET)

A. is not decided B. are not decided

C. has not decided D. have not decided

Key:[A]

Who has broken the window is still unknown.

Making friends with different kinds of people is not easy work.

當what引導主語從句或由 and連接兩個動詞不定式或動名詞作主語時，謂語動詞的數應根據意義一致的原則來決定。

Most of what has been said about the Simiths _______also true of the Johnsons . (06'安徽卷)

A. areB. isC. beingD. to be Key:[B]

What we need now calls for money and skilled workers .

7．who, which, that 作定語從句的主語時，其謂語取決于先行詞。

He is the only one of the students who ____ a winner of scholarship for three years. (02上海春)

A. is B. areC. have been D. has been

Key:[D]

8．All; some ; any ; most ;part ; half ; the rest ; the last 等作主語，謂語動詞的數要隨主語所表示的意思來確定。

All that can be done has been done .

All are eager to reach the agreement .

9．國名、地名、組織機構名稱、書刊和雜志名等名詞作主語時，謂語動詞常用單數。

The United Ｎations is an international organization .

Great Expectations has been translated into Chinese .

注意：The Olympic Games are usually held every four years .

10．equipment ;furniture; clothing ;luggage; advice; information等不可數集合名詞作主語時，謂語動詞用單數；但army（軍隊；士兵）; committee（委員會；委員; team（隊；隊員）; family ; group ; government ; class; population; audience; public等集合名詞作主語時，如說話者強調名詞的整體概念，則謂語用單數形式；若說話者強調名詞的個體組成部分，則謂語動詞用復數形式。

The audience were very excited.

The audience consisted almost entirely of students.

The police are trying to catch the thief.

The public is the best judge because the public always express their thoughts correctly .

(三)就近原則：即謂語動詞的數與最靠近它的那部分主語一致。就近原則體現了語言的靈活性和適用性，一般用于下列常見搭配之中：以連詞or ; either…or ; neither …nor ; not only…but also; not…but; there be 連接的復合主語，其謂語與其相鄰的那個名詞的數保持一致。

(1) Not only I but also Jane and Mary ______ tired of having one examination after another.

A. is B. are C. amD. be Key:[B]

(2) Not his sister but his two cousins have gone to Qindao, never to be seen again .

(3)There is a dictionary and some magazines on the desk.

(4) Are either you or I wrong？

(5) You or he is to blame.

鞏固練習：請從A、B、C、D四個選項中選出最佳答案。

1．The Olympic Games in the year 2008 _______ in Beijing of China, which _______ known to us all.

A. is to hold; is B. is to be held; was

C. are to hold; is D. are to be held; is

2．The poor woman as well as her two children in a street corner_______.

A. was seen begB. were seen beg

C. was seen begging D. were seen begging

3．______ of the grass-belt in this neigh-borhood ________ covered with flowers and grass.

A. Two third; is B. Two fifth; are

C. Two thirds; is D. Two thirds; are

4．Its Tom who _______ the Christmas gift to you.

A. has sentB. have sent

C. is going to fetchD. are going to fetch

5．Not the teacher but the students ________ looking forward to seeing the film.

A. is B. are C. amD. be

6．Between the two rows of trees _______ the teaching building.

A. haveB. has C. standsD. are

7．Every boy and every girl_______that each day and each hour _______brings duty.

A. know; their B. knows; their

C. knows; its D. know; its

8．_______ either of your parents come to see you recently?

A. Have B. HadC. Has D. Is

9．One and a half apples _______ on the table

A. is left B. has left

C. are left D. have left

10．All but one ________ in the traffic accident.

A. was killed B. were killed

C. will be killed D. are killed

11．This kind of stories ______ instructive while stories of that kind_______ harm to children.

A. is; does B. are; do

C. is; do D. are; does

12．A great many people_______ present at the meeting, but many a man ________ late for the meeting because of the traffic jam.

A. are; are B. is; is

C. were; was D. was; are

13．He is the only one of the children who often ________ ill of others behind their backs.

A. have spoken B. were speaking

C. speak D. speaks

14．The office staff _______ gathered to hear the president address on the TV.

A. isB. areC. beD. will

15．To shut your eyes to facts, as many of you do, ________ foolish.

A. amB. is C. areD. were

Keys for reference： 1—5 DCCAB 6—10 CCCCB 11—15 CCDBB