主语和谓语的一致

主语和谓语的一致

英语中主语和谓语在人称与数上的一致关系一般遵循三条原则：形态一直原则、意义一致原则和毗邻一致原则。

形态一致原则

主语和谓语的一致根据主语外部语法形态来决定：

The teacher is here and the students are there.

1.要正确地判断出主语：

In front of the girl are some flowers.

2.each和something等不定代词作主语时，谓语动词用单数，常见的有：each, one, either, neither, little, a little, much; 以及由some（或any, no, every）后加thing（或body, one）构成的复合不定代词（包括no one，不含none）：

Someone is looking for you.

Each has his merits.

▲each作同位语时，用复数形式的谓语：

We each have a dictionary.

3.主语后接with, together with, as well as, rather than, but, like等短语作定语时，谓语形式不受定语的影响：

The teacher together with his students is going there on foot.

4.many a（许多）和more than one（不止一个）等作定语去修饰作主语的单数可数名词时，谓语动词用单数：

Many a way has been tired.

5.pair of等表示数量的名词短语修饰主语时，谓语的形式要与pair等名词的形式一致，常见的有：pair of, kind of, type of, form of, glass of, box of等：

There is a pair of shoes left.

▲但plenty of, a lot of, lots of和a number of等修饰语不属于这一类，谓语动词的形式要与它们所修饰的主语取得一致。

6.trousers等复数形式的名词作主语时，谓语动词用复数；换成代词时，也要用复数形式，常见的有：trousers, glasses, scissors, scales,goods等。

意义一致原则

谓语动词的形式取决于主语所表达的内在涵义：

Some are boys.

Some is red ink.

7.从句或短语（包括不定式和动名词）作主语时，往往表达一种抽象概念，谓语动词用单数：

Driving cars is easy.

▲但what引导的主语从句有时用复数动词，这时其涵义常可从表语中看出。

8.maths等单数概念、复数形式的名词作主语时，谓语动词多用单数。常用的有：抽象名词（如news），学科名词（如maths, physics），专有名词（如James, the United States, The Arabian Nights《天方夜谭》），游戏、运动名词等：

The United States was founded in 1776.

9.表示“总量”或“总和”的时间、距离、金钱、重量、容量等的复数名词作主语时，谓语动词用单数：

Twenty years is a long time.

▲如强调具体的数量，则要用复数动词：

Twenty years have passed since his father died.

10.both等表示复数概念的不定代词作主语时，谓语动词用复数，常见的有：both, few, a few, many, several等：

Both are correct.

11.police等表示“总称”的名词作主语时，是复数概念，谓语动词用复数，常见的有：people, police, cattle, poultry等，还有folk，但也用folks（尤其在美语中）：

The police are running after a thief.

▲people作“民族”讲时，复数用peoples。

12.some等不定代词、two thirds等分数词及rest等名词作主语时，根据具体涵义，谓语动词可以用单数，也可以用复数，常见的有：some, any, none, all, most, more, the rest, (a) part, half 等：

All were silent. 大家一言不发。

All was silent. 万籁俱寂。

13.family等集体名词作主语时，强调整体时用单数动词，强调成员的复数动词。

His family is going to move.他家要搬走了。

My family are very well.我全家人都很健康。

14.“the +形容词”作主语，表示“一类人”（如the rich ）时用复数动词；表示“一种抽象概念或品质”（如the beautiful ）时用单数动词：

The poor were not able to buy it.

The beautiful is not always the useful.

15.sheep,means 等单复数同形的名词作主语时，根据具体情况，谓语动词选用单数或复数。Some sheep are eating grass .

A sheep is lying on the grass.

16.定语从句中的关系代词作主语时，从句谓语动词的人称和数要与先行词取得一致。

17.用and 连接两个或两个以上的词、短语或句子作主语时，一般用复数动词。

▲当表示单一概念时，要用单复数动词，如：

The secretary and manager was present at the meeting.

▲两个单数名词前都有every,no,many a 等词修饰时，要用单数动词：

No teacher and no student is going.

毗邻一致原则

谓语的形式取决于主语中邻近的部分：

There is a pen and two pencils on the desk.

18.毗邻一致现象一般出现在there be 句型中，以及由neither...nor,either...or,not only...but also,whether...or,或or连接并列主语的句子中。