第三课 主谓一致

第三课主谓一致(Subject-Verb Concord) I

1.定义

主谓一致（subject-verb concord）:主语和谓语动词在“人称”和“数”

的方面的一致关系。

eg: He is my close friend.

We are invited to attend the meeting.

2. 指导原则

●1) 语法一致

●主语和谓语动词之间的一致关系主要表现在“数”的形式上，即用作主语的名词词组中心词和谓语动词在单、复数形式上的一致性.

●e.g. Both boys have their own merits.

●Every girl comes on time.

●Much effort is wasted.

●2) 意义一致

●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.若主语形式上为复数，而意义上是单数，动词要用单数；若主语形式上为单数，而意义上为复数，则动词用复数

e.g. The United States is in North America.

The police are looking into the matter. Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.

Fifty-six dollars was stolen from the cash register.

●3) 就近原则

●谓语动词的单复数形式决定于最靠近它的词语的单复数形式.

e.g. Either my brothers or my father is coming.

No one except his own supporters agree with him.

3. 以s结尾的名词作主语的主谓一致问题

●1) 以-s结尾的疾病名称和游戏名称

英语中有一些疾病名称是以-s结尾的，如bronchitis(支气管炎), diabetes(糖尿病)，mumps(腮腺炎)等,这类名词通常作单数用。但有

些疾病名称如measles可作单数也可作复数用。

eg. Mumps(腮腺炎) is a kind of infectious disease.

Generally, measles(麻疹) occurs in children.

Measles(麻疹) are sometimes caused by a tapeworm(绦虫).

表示游戏名称的名词通常作单数用，但个别表示游戏名称的名词作复数用，如cards.

e.g. Darts(投标游戏) is essentially a free and easy game.

Cards(打纸牌) are not allowed here.

●2) 以-ics结尾的学科名词

●以-ics结尾表示学科的名词做主语，通常表示单数意义，谓语动词用单数形式。这类名词有：physics, politics, mathematics, economics, athletics, electronics等。

eg: Politics is now taught in all schools.

●Economics is a science of the way in which industry and trade produce and use wealth.经济学是研究工业、贸易生财和用财之道。

●注意：当这些动词表示有关方面的活动、情况、见解、原理等意思时，谓语动词需用复数形式。

What are his politics?他的政见如何？

The economics of national growth are of the greatest importance to all modern governments.国家发展经济的原理对现代各国政府都重要。.

●Compare:

Acoustics(声学) is the science of sound.

The acoustics(音响效果) in the new concert hall are faultless.

●3)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，the Netherlands等，因其是单一政治实体，所以谓语动词用作单数。

例如：

The United States was hit by the Great Depression in 1930s'.

In early January 1996 the Netherlands was hit by its worst storm since 1976.

●但如果是群岛、山脉、海峡、瀑布等地理名称作主语，谓语动词用作复数。

例如：

The West Indies are commonly divided into two parts.

The Himalayas have a magnificent variety of plant.

The Straits of Gibraltar have not lost their strategic importance.

●4)其它以-s结尾的名词

●A.以-s结尾的由两部分组成的物体名称作主语

英语中有一些通常以-s结尾的由两部分组成的物体名词，如glasses, pincers, pliers,scissors, shorts, suspenders, trousers等，这类名词做主语，如果不带“一把”、“一副”等单位词，谓语动词通常用复数。

●例如：

Mary's glasses are new.

John's trousers are black.

如果带有单位词，则由单位词决定动词的单、复数形式。

例如：

One pair of pincers isn't enough.

Two pairs of scissors are missing from my tool box.

●英语中还有一些以- s结尾的名词, 如：archives(档案), arms(武器), contents(内容、目录), eaves(屋檐), fireworks(烟火), goods, minutes(记录), morals, remains(遗体), stairs, suburbs, thanks, wages and clothes这类名词作主语时，谓语动词通常用复数。

●e.g. The archives of the country are kept in the Department of Security.

The contents of this book are most fascinating.

High wages often result in high prices.

●但也有少数这类名词作单、复数均可。

●The archives of this society are kept in the basement.

●The dramatics(舞台艺术)of the performance was / were marvelous.

●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）, lodgings（租住的房间）, surroundings （环境）等，通常作复数用。tidings 作单、复数名词均可。

●eg. The sweepings of the room have been disposed of.

Good tidings have cheered them up.

The tidings has come a little too late.

●

●还有一些以-s结尾的单、复数同形的名词，如barracks（营房）, headquarters（总部）, means（方法，手段）, series（系列）, species （种类）等，随后动词的单、复数形式取决于这些名词是用作单数，还是用作复数。

●E.g. The only means to achieve success is to appeal to arms(诉诸武力)

●All means have been tried out to increase agricultural production.

●但有少数这类的名词用作单数和用作复数意义不同.

eg: What’s the odds? (有什么要紧？)

The odds are against us. (我们成功的机会很小。)

His remains(遗体) lie in the churchyard(墓地).

Here is the remains(遗迹) of the temple.

●4.以集体名词作主语的主谓一致问题

集体名词在意义上是复数，而在语法形式上是单数，如committee, government, team, group等。以这类名词作主语的主谓一致问题往往在于对“语法一致”和“意义一致”两种原则的选择。这种选择通常遵循以下规则：

●1)通常作复数的集体名词

●有些集体名词，如police, people, cattle, poultry, vermin等，通常作复数，用复数动词。

●e.g. The Chinese people are a great people.

●Domestic cattle provide us with milk, beef and hides.

●2)通常作不可数名词的集体名词

●有些集体名词，如foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise等，通常作不可数名词，随后的动词用单数。

●e.g. All the merchandise has arrived undamaged.

All the machinery in the factory is made in China.

●3)既可作单数也可作复数的集体名词

●还有一些集体名词，如audience, committee, class, crew, family, government, public等，既可作单数，也可作复数。如果将该名词所表示的集体视为一个整体，动词用单数；如将侧重点放在组成集体的成员上，则动词用复数。

Compare:

The anti-crime committee is to make its report tomorrow.

The committee are divided in opinion about this problem.

That group of soldiers is a top-notch fighting unit.

That group of soldiers have the best ratings of individual performance.

●4) A committee of, etc + plural noun

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

eg: A committee of five men and three women is to consider the matter.

The board of directors is responsible for the management of the company.

The End !