第十章 主谓一致

 

主谓一致：主语和谓语在人称和数上保持一致。

 

一、主语是单数形式的名词，与谓语动词的关系

 

通常，谓语动词会与主语保持一致的关系，即也使用单数形式。

但，特例如下：

 

1. many a + 名词单数，表达含义为复数概念，谓语动词使用单数。

 

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

Many a man and (many a ) woman has wished that he or she had had a better education.

对比：many men and women have…

 

2. more than one + 可数名词单数，表达含义为复数概念，谓语动词使用单数。

 

    There is more than one answer to this question.

    More than one topic has been discussed at the meeting.

   

  注：对比“more + 名词复数 + than one”结构，谓语用复数

 

    More topics than one have been discussed at the meeting.

 

3. “a + 名词单数 + or two”，谓语用单数

  “One or two + 名词复数”，谓语用复数

 

A word or two is misused in the sentence.

One or two words are misused in the sentence.

 

4. 集体名词，如party, crowd, class, team, family, crew, government, committee, audience, public等

   A：如果集体名词被看成是一个整体，谓语动词用单数。

   B：如果集体名词强调是由若干个体成员或部分组成的，则用复数。

 

The public is the best judge.

The public are requested to write down their names in this book.

 

He has joined the football team who are all famous footballers.

A football team which keeps on training hard is more likely to win.

 

There was a large audience in the great hall.

The audience were excited.

 

注：有些集体名词，如 police, people, Chinese等，经常使用复数形式的动词。

    有些集体名词，如 mankind, humanity等，经常使用单数形式的动词。

 

5. 定冠词the + adj.或过去分词。

  A. 表示抽象概念，谓语用单数。

    The best is yet to come. 好戏在后头。

    The good in him overweighs the bad. 他的优点比缺点多。

The beautiful is not always the same as good.

 

  B. 表示一类人，则为复数概念，谓语使用复数

The blind are unfortunate.

The oppressed are to rise one day.

 

  C. 根据句意来判断后面的动词采用单数还是复数。

The deceased was his mother.

The deceased were ten farmers.

 

二、主语是复数形式的名词，与谓语动词的关系。

 

基本规律：

（1）    如果复数形式的名词表示的是复数的概念，则谓语动词使用复数形式。

（2）    如果复数形式的名词表示的是单数的概念，或是将其看作是一个整体部分，则谓语动词使用单数形式。

 

1. 表示成双成对的概念的复数名词，谓语用复数形式。

    Pants, trousers, scissors, scales, glasses, binoculars (双筒望远镜), spectacles (护目镜)…

    Where are my glasses?

 

2. 形式上是复数，但表示单数概念的词，谓语使用单数。

Works(工厂), politics(哲学), statistics（统计学）, measles, diabetes, gallows(绞刑架)…

 

Politics is often a popular topic among people.

Statistics is a science.

 

注：如果politics表示“政治观点”， statistics表示“统计数据”，

    则谓语动词使用复数。

 

3. 表示时间、重量、数额的复数名词，往往被看成是一个整体，谓语动词使用复数形式。

Ten years is a moment in history.

One hundred dollars is a large sum for the poor.

Two tones is enough.

 

但，如果数词单独使用，表示人或事物，则谓语动词使用复数形式。

 

Ten were killed and five were missing in that accident.

Few know the fact.

 

4. 复数形式的专有名词，通常后面的谓语动词使用复数形式。

    The Great Lakes are a series of five lakes between the USA and Canada.

    The Himalayas are the roof of the world.

 

   有些特殊的复数形式专有名词，如the United Nations, the United States,

   通常被看作是一个整体，谓语使用单数。

 

三、 并列主语与谓语动词的关系。

 

1. 由and连接的多个成分，如果表示一种事物或一种概念时，使用单数。

   如果表示的是多个不同的概念，则使用复数。

 

    The writer and translator is delivering a speech in our college tonight.（一个人)

The writer and the translator are delivering a speech in our college tonight. (两个人)

 

    The tenth and last lesson is translated by him.        (同一课)

The tenth and the last lesson are translated by him.    (两课)

 

    A black and white dog is playing in the yard.         (一个狗狗)

    A black and a white dog are playing in the yard.       (两个狗狗)

 

    Sound, heat and light are different forms of energy.

 

2. 若and连接两个并列主语，

且and后面的名词有相关的副词（not, perhaps, particularly, even, too, likewise, as well等）修饰

   则谓语动词与and前面的名词保持一致。

   此时，句子真正的主语是and前的名词，有时，and会与前面的名词用逗号隔开。

 

The horse and not the donkey is used in games of racing.

Tom, and not Jim, has gone there.

    That the sun and not the earth is the center of our planetary system was a difficult concept to grasp in the Middle Ages.

    Jack, and perhaps Williams, has been there.

   

3. 两个表示不同物质的名词，由and连接，如果在习惯上这两样东西常常被同时使用，

   则被看作是一个整体，谓语动词用单数形式。

 

Bread and butter is my favorite breakfast.

The fork and knife is hard for me to use.

A needle and thread is what he needs now.

 

4. or连接的并列主语，动词形式与or最近的主语保持一致。（就近原则）

 

    He or I am to go.

Her sisters or his brother has a hobby of collecting stamps.

John, Mike or Rocky drives Mary to work each morning.

 

5. every…and (every) …each…,

  and (each) …

any…and (any)…

no…and (no)…,

many a … and (many a)…

  连接的并列主语，谓语动词使用单数形式。

 

Every hour and every minute is important.

Every man, woman and child is an important being.

Many a man and (many a) woman has wished he or she had had a better salary.

 

6. either…or…, not only…but also…, neither…nor…

  谓语动词与or, but, nor后面的词保持一致。（就近原则）

 

Not only the students but also their teacher is required to attend the meeting.

Not only their teacher but also the students are required to attend the meeting.

 

7. 由with, together with, along with, as well as, as much as, including, in addition to,

added to, except, besides, rather than, accompanied by…等词连接并列或多个名词时，

谓语动词与第一个主语保持一致。

 

Mary, along with her sisters, attends the sessions regularly.

The students as well as the teacher are required to attend the meeting.

I, as well as they, am ready to help you.

 

 

四、在of 结构中，谓语动词的使用

 

1. kind, type, sort, class, species, breed, variety, form, brand, make,等表示类别的名词，

  谓语动词通常与of前的名词形式保持一致。

What kind of rice is served in that restaurant?

What kinds of rice are served in that restaurant?

The kind of apples is sour.

Apples of this kind are sour.

 

2. a pair of + 复数名词，看作是一个整体，谓语用单数形式。

  大于一的数字+ pairs of + 复数名词，表示多个整体，谓语用复数形式。

A pair of gloves is on the table.

Five pairs of gloves are on the table.

 

3. the + 最高级 + of + 名词复数，谓语使用单数形式。

 

    The most elaborate of all bird nests is the large, doomed communal structure built by social weaverbirds.

 

4. a number of, an average of, a total of 后面加复数名词时，强调数量

  谓语动词使用复数形式。

  The number of, the average of, the total of后面加复数名词时，强调整体，

  谓语动词使用单数形式。

 

    A total of ten thousand dollars were donated last month.

The total of ten thousand dollars was donated last month.

 

5. a part of + 单数名词，谓语动词使用单数形式。

  a part of + 复数名词，谓语动词使用复数形式。

    类似用法还有the rest of, the remainder of, most of, plenty of, 以及“分数 + of”, “百分数+of”

 

A part of the apple is bad.

A part of the apples are bad.

    Three-fourths of the surface of the earth is covered with water.

    A third of his composition has been corrected.

 

五、从句中的主谓一致问题

 

1. 名词从句，动名词短语或动词不定式短语作主语，谓语动词使用单数形式。

When I can complete it is still unclear.

How close parents are to their children has a strong influence on the character of the children.

What I said and did is of no concern to you.

 

2. 定语从句中的主谓一致。

He is the only one of those men who likes to drive fast.

He is one of those men who like to drive fast.

He is one of the only men who like to drive fast.

One of those men likes to drive fast.

One of those men who like to drive fast is her son.