广东省深圳市宝安中学 赵国强(518101)
所谓“主谓一致性”，是指谓语动词在人称和数上和主语保持的一致，即谓语与主语所保持的相应单复数。如：American Indians have lived there for over 20, 000 years.（美国印第安人在那儿生活了两万多年。）The news about the Olympic Games is exciting.（有关奥运会的消息令人兴奋。）该项目是高考考查的重点之一。以下方面在学习中应引起重视。
1．动词不定式、动名词、主语从句或是由两个疑问词引导一个不定式或一个从句作主语，谓语动词一般用单数。而两个以上不定式、动名词、从句做主语，谓语动词用复数；如果两个短语表达同一概念，属同一整体，谓语动词仍用单数。如：
To save money now seems impossible.现在好像不可能存钱。
Reading English papers and magazines is helpful to English study.阅读英语报刊杂志对英语学习有帮助。
Whether he will come depends on weather.他是否会来还要看天气。
When and where to hold the meeting isn't decided.何时何地开会尚未决定。
Listening, speaking, reading and writing are four skills for English study. 听说读写是英语学习的四种技能。
Going to bed early and getting up early is a good habit. 早睡早起习惯好。
2．由either…or，neither…nor，not only…but also，not…but，or连接两个主语，谓语动词和离它最近的主语保持一致。如：
Either the girl or the boy is from Canada.不是那女孩就是男孩来自加拿大。
Not only he but also I am good at English．我们俩英语都不错。
You or he is to take part in the competition. 你或她要参加比赛。
3．由there或here引起的句子，谓语通常与邻近的主语一致。如：
There is a pencil box and several books in my school bag.我书包里有一个文具盒和好几本书。
Here are some envelopes and writing paper for you.这儿有你的信封信纸。
4．把表示时间、距离、度量、金额、书名等复数名词作为一个整体来看，谓语动词用单数形式。
Twenty years is a long time. 20年是漫长的。
25,000 miles is a long distance.二万五千里是一段漫长的路程。
Ten thousand dollars is enough.十万块够了。
Two and three is five.二加三等于五。
The Arabian Nights is an interesting book.《天方夜谈》是本有趣的书。
5．由and连接两个并列主语，谓语动词一般用复数。但如果连接的单数主语前分别有every, each, no修饰时，谓语动词仍用单数形式, and后面的every, each, no还可以省略。
In our country, every boy and（every）girl has the right to receive education.在我们国家，男孩女孩都有受教育权。
Each man and（each）woman is asked to attend the party.无论男女都被邀请出席晚会。
但两个名词前分别有定冠词变成复数概念时，each放在它们后面作同位语，谓语用复数。如：
The boys and girls each have a new book.（比较：Each of them has a new book. 他们各自有本新书。）
6．The ＋形容词表示一类人作主语，谓语动词多用复数形式。如：
The old are taken good care of in China.在中国, 老人受到很好照顾。
7．如果主语后面跟有（together）with, as well as, along with, like, rather than, together with, but, except , besides, including等短语，谓语动词应与其前的主语相一致。如:
A library with sixty thousand books was offered to our school.藏书六万册的图书馆提供给了我校。
The teacher as well as the students is looking forward to the New Year’s Eve.老师与学生们都在盼望除夕。
The mother along with her children is going to Australia.母亲与她的孩子都要去澳大利亚。
No one except us/but we knows it. 只有我们知道这事。
The factory, including its machines, was burnt last night. 昨晚上这工厂及里边的机器全被烧掉了。
8．由a lot, plenty, some, most, half, all, the rest，the majority以及（百）分数等＋of短语出现在主语中，谓语与of后面的名词单复数保持一致。试比较：
All of us are very tired.我们大家都累了。
All of the milk has been sold out.所有的牛奶都卖完了。
Half of the apple is rotten. /Half of the apples are rotten.（半个）半数苹果都烂了。
The rest of the problems are very easy. /The rest of the problem is very easy.其余的问题很简单。
The majority of people(=Most people) are in favor of the plan.多数人同意这个计划。
The majority of the milk(=Most of the milk) has gone bad.多数牛奶都坏了。
Two-thirds of the homework has been corrected.三分之二的作业已经批改。
Two-thirds of the exercises have been corrected.三分之二的练习已经批改。
70 percent of the surface of the earth is covered by water.地球表面的70％被水覆盖。
9. 一些可数或不可数名词可以和量词连接，一般情况下只要有量词修饰，谓语动词与量词的数保持一致；代词none和neither可以根据说话人意思看作单数或复数，但none代替不可数名词，谓语一定是单数形式。如：
The whole box of matches is wet.整盒火柴都是湿的。
This kind of method(s) is helpful.(=Methods of this kind are helpful.) 这种法子有帮助。
Neither of them has arrived yet at the spot. 他们俩都还没有到达场地。
None of the water is fit to drink. 这水均不宜饮用。
注意区分the number of与a number of的不同含义所引起的谓语动词单复数之别。试比较：
The number of the students in their class is 50．他们班的学生数为50。
A number of visitors have been there.不少游客去过那儿。
10．形复义单的名词（如：news, maths, physics, politics, means, works<工厂>)等作主语时，谓语只用单数。如：
Physics is a fairly difficult subject.物理是一门相当难的学科。
Politics doesn’t interest him.他对政治没兴趣。
11．某些集体名词如: family, group, class, team, company, government, army, enemy, population, public, crowd等作主语时，如果作为一个整体看待，谓语动词用单数，如果强调个体“人”,谓语动词用复数形式。例如：
The population of the world is increasing day by day.世界人口在与日俱增。
About two-thirds of the population in China are farmers. 中国大约三分之二的人口是农民。
His family is in Shenzhen.他的家在深圳。
His family are watching TV.他的家人在看电视。
The whole team are going to take part in the Olympic Games.全队将参加奥运会。
12．某些集体名词如police, cattle, people（人）,与clothes, shorts, trousers, goods, scissors等词一样，只用作复数。如：
The police are searching for the murderer. 警察正在缉拿凶手。
The cattle are eating grass. 牛在吃草。
All his goods were lost.他所有的货物都丢了。
13．在倒装句中，谓语动词的数应与其后的主语一致。例如：
Between the houses is a tall tree.两幢房屋之间有棵大树。
On the wall hangs a picture.墙上挂着一幅画。
14．由and, both…and引导并列主语，谓语用复数。但如果主语连接的两个名词指的是同一个人或事，谓语用单数形式，这类and后面的名词没有冠词。如：
Both rice and wheat are grown in this place.这地方既种稻子也种小麦。
The writer and teacher is quite popular among the students.既是作家又是教师的他深受学生的欢迎。
Truth and honesty is the best policy.诚实是最好的策略。
All work and no play makes Jack a dull.只工作不玩耍，聪明孩子也变傻。
15．在“one of ＋复数名词＋who/that/which”引导的定语从句中，从句动词用复数形式; 当one之前有the（only）等修饰语时，从句的动词应是单数。如：
This is one of the most interesting stories that have been told．这是讲的最好的故事之一。
She is the (only) one of the girls who is late sometimes.她是(唯一)一个有时迟到的学生。
16．一些单复数相同的名词，根据具体情况确定，如：deer, sheep, fish, means, works, the following等。
The milu deer has returned to China. 麋鹿回到了中国。
More milu deer are being moved to a large nature park. 更多麋鹿正转移到一个大的天然公园。
There is an iron works near the town. 城附近有家钢铁厂。
There are some iron works near the town. 城附近有些钢铁厂。
The following are his mistakes./The following is his mistake.下面是他的错误。
17．more than one, many a尽管意义上是表复数内容，但谓语动词仍用单数形式。
More than one book has been sold.已出售的书不止一本。
Many a student wants to reduce homework.许多学生要求减少家庭作业。
附练习：
only I but also Jane and Mary ____tired of having one examination after another.(MET 89)
A. is B. are C. am D. be
2.A library with five thousand books _____to the nation as a gift.(MET 89)
A. is offered B. has offered C. are offered D. have offered
and where to build the new factory ____ yet.(MET91)
A. is not decided B. are not decided C. has not decided D. have not decided
number of people invited ____fifty, but a number of them ____absent for different reasons. (NMET96)
A. were; was B. was; was C. was; were D. were; were
5.E-mail, as well as telephones, _____an important part in daily communication.(上海99)
A. is playing B. have played C. are playing D. play
6.____of the land in that area ____covered with trees and grass.
A. Two fifth…is B. Two fifth…are C. Two fifths…is D. Two fifths…are (2000.上海)
7．The League Secretary and monitor ______ asked to make a speech at the meeting．
A．was B．were C．has D．were
8．Each man and each woman ______ asked to attend the party．
A．are B．is C．has D．were
9．Ten thousand dollars______ a large sum of money．
A．has been B．have been C．is D．are
the winding path ____ to be found footprints of wild animals.
A．was B．were C．has D．have
11．Forty percent of the students in our class ______ League members．
A．is B．are C．was D．be
12．He is the only one of the students who______ elected．
A．are B．have been C．has D．has been
13．John as well as his sisters______ medicine in China．
A．are studying B．have studied C．is studying D．study
14．I, who_______ your teacher, will try my best to help you with your study．
A．be B．am, C．are D．is
15．Only the rich______ able to go to school at that time．
A．were B．was C．is D．are
1-5 BAACA B 11-15 BDCBA
本文发表于《新高考》2004年7－8期
