英語語法“主謂一致”二三事（上）

王艷萍

在英語句子中，謂語動詞必須與主語在人稱和數上保持一致，這叫“主謂一致”。近幾年高考，對該內容的考查主要涉及“語法一致”“意義一致”“就近一致”這幾方面。

下面，筆者先向大家介紹語法一致的具體用法。

“語法一致”是指主語和謂語動詞在語法形式上保持一致。當主語為單數形式時，謂語動詞用單數形式;當主語為復數形式時，謂語動詞用復數形式。

單數可數名詞、代詞、動詞不定式短語、動名詞短語或從句作主語時，謂語動詞一般用單數形式;主語為復數形式時，謂語動詞用復數形式。

例：Leaving the less important things until tomorrow is often acceptable.（2016·全國卷II）

注意：由what引導的名詞性從句作主語時，謂語動詞的單復數形式取決于主語從句指代的意義。

例①：What I can tell you is that the tsunami wave cannot be stopped.

例②：What we need are ten books.

“and / both...and...”連接并列成分作主語時，謂語動詞用復數形式。例如，Both the students and the teacher are playing football now.

1.如果and連接的兩個并列主語指的是同一個人或事物（第二個名詞前沒有限定詞），謂語動詞要用單數形式。

例：The poet and writer has produced many works.（這位詩人兼作家出版了許多作品。）

2.由and連接的并列單數主語前分別有each、every修飾時，謂語動詞用單數形式。

例：Every hour and every minute is very valuable.

主語為單數名詞或代詞，盡管后面跟有“with， together with， along with， like， as well as， as much as， more than， rather than， except， but， besides， including”等具有連接意義的單詞或詞組，謂語動詞仍用單數形式，此為就前（遠）原則。

例：The musician along with his band members ________ （give） ten performances in the last three months.（2019·江蘇卷）

【解析】句子主語“The musician”是單數形式，根據“in the last three months”可知句子的時態為現在完成時，故填“has given”。

主語是“either/neither/each/every/no +單數名詞”或由some、any、no、every構成的復合不定代詞時，謂語動詞用單數形式。

例：When every pupil in the school wears the uniform， nobody has to worry about fashion.（2019·浙江卷）

trousers、glasses、clothes、shoes、jeans等由兩部分構成一個整體的名詞作主語時，謂語動詞常用復數形式。例如，My trousers are old， so I want to buy a new pair.

1.如果主語前有a series of、a kind of、a piece of、a pair of 等量詞修飾時，謂語動詞要用單數形式。

例：A pair of shoes is lying under the bed.

2.如果主語為“名詞+ of this kind”，謂語動詞應與of前的名詞保持數的一致。

例：Apples of this kind are highly priced.

“many a/more than one +單數名詞（許多……）”作主語時，謂語動詞用單數形式。“more +復數名詞+ than one”作主語時，謂語動詞通常用復數形式。

例①：Many a student in our class likes pop music while many students in their class like classic music.

例②：More members than one are against your plan.

表示數量的短語“a quantity of / an amount of +名詞”或“quantities of / amounts of + 名詞”作主語時，謂語動詞的單復數形式根據quantity和amount的單復數形式而定。

例①：A large amount of clean water is waster every day.

例②：Large quantities of money have been spent on the project so far; it is enough.

在倒裝句中，謂語動詞的單復數形式應和其后主語保持一致。

例：By the lake are two chemical works， one of which was built last year.

定語從句中的語法一致

1.在定語從句中，關系代詞that、who、which作主語時，其謂語動詞的數應與句中先行詞的數一致。

例：If you look at all sides of the situation， youll find probably a solution that suits everyone.（2020·江蘇卷）

2.先行詞是“one of +復數名詞”時，定語從句的謂語動詞用復數形式。

例：Tommy was one of the doctors who were devoted to saving peoples lives in WuHan.

注意：“one of +復數名詞”作主語時，謂語動詞要用單數，如2021年高考全國甲卷的短文改錯中“One of the questions are：Who will you go to in times of trouble？”這一句需要考生把“are”改為“is”。

3.先行詞是“the only one of +復數名詞”時，定語從句的謂語動詞用單數形式。

例：She is the only one of the children who is good at music here.