句子的核心是謂語動詞，謂語動詞的確定取決于主語。根據句子含義和結構認準主語是掌握主謂一致的必要條件；弄清主謂一致的語言規則和習慣是掌握主謂一致的充分條件，要正確使用主謂一致，兩個條件缺一不可，但同學們往往會走入以下三大誤區。
誤區一 誤認主語
1. 倒裝句
①Between the two buildings are a big tree. (×）
②Between the two buildings is a big tree. (√)
[解析] 第①句謂語動詞使用are，錯誤地認為the two buildings是該句的主語，但實際上是介詞between的賓語，一起構成介詞短語，而介詞短語不能充當主語。該句是一個倒裝句，真正主語是a big tree.因此第②句正確。
特別提醒 倒裝句的常見結構：副詞/介詞短語+謂語+主語
2. 主語之后帶有介詞短語
①The fruit like apples, oranges are good for our health. (×）
②The fruit like apples, oranges is good for our health. (√)
[解析] 第①句誤認為apples, oranges是主語，因此謂語動詞用are，而實際上the fruit才是該句的主語，like apples，oranges是介詞短語作后置定語修飾the fruit.該句譯為“像蘋果、桔子之類的水果對我們的身體是有好處的”。因此第②句是正確的。
特別提醒 類似的結構有：主語+with / like / except / but / together with / as well as . . . ，謂語動詞應與主語一致，而與介詞短語之后的名詞無關。
3. one of . . . + 名詞復數或復數代詞
①There are twenty boys in our class. One of the boys are from Canada. (×）
②There are twenty boys in our class. One of the boys is from Canada. (√)
[解析] one of the boys的中心詞是one，因此謂語動詞用單數，造成第①句錯誤的原因主要是把the boys當成了該句的主語。
4. 定語從句
①I like the photos which was taken in Beijing. (×）
②I like the photos which were taken in Beijing. (√)
[解析] which were taken in Beijing是一個定語從句，用于修飾先行詞the photos，而which本身就代替先行詞the photos.因此謂語動詞要用復數，造成第①句錯誤的原因是沒有弄清楚關系詞which的實質，只是從形式上看它是單數。
特別提醒 定語從句中的謂語動詞應該與先行詞保持一致。 誤區二 被主語的表象迷惑
1. 看似復數卻表單數概念
①Maths are my favourite subject. (×）
②Maths is my favourite subject. (√)
[解析] maths本身是一個以“s”結尾的單詞，而不是一個復數名詞，表示單數概念“數學”這一學科，因此第②句正確。
類似的有：physics，news，politics . . .
2. 看似單數卻表復數概念
①The police is searching for the robbers. (×）
②The police are searching for the robbers. (√)
[解析] the police譯為“警方”，表示復數概念，而不是表示“那個警察”，因此第②句正確，類似的詞有：people，the +形容詞，the +姓+family等均表復數概念。
3. 名詞的單復數同形
①There are a little sheep eating grass on the hill. Can you see it？ (×）
②There is a little sheep eating grass on the hill. Can you see it？ (√)
[解析] sheep是一個單復數形式相同的名詞，由于sheep之前用的a little修飾，加上Can you see it中的it指代單數，因此a little sheep譯為“一只小綿羊”，因此第②句正確。如果將原題改為：There ________ (be) a few sheep eating grass on the hill. Can you see them？那又會怎么樣呢。
特別提醒 類似的單復數形式相同的詞還有fish, Chinese, Japanese等，要根據句子的含義和結構暗示來判斷其單復數。
4. 集合名詞
①Their family is very happy. Now their family is watching TV. (×）
②Their family is very happy. Now their family are watching TV. (√)
[解析] family是一個集合名詞，表示整體概念時謂語用單數，表示個體概念時謂語用復數。該句譯為“他們全家很幸福，現在全家人正在看電視”。因此第一個family表示整體概念，譯為“家庭”，第二個family表示個體概念，譯為“家人”，第②句正確。
特別提醒 類似的還有group，class，team等既可表單數也可表復數。 誤區三 誤用語言規則
1. 表示時間、距離、金錢、重量、數量等名詞作主語
①Ten years are quite a long time. (×）
②Ten years is quite a long time. (√)
[解析] 表示時間、距離、金錢、重量、數量等名詞的復數作主語時看作一個整體，謂語動詞要用單數，容易錯誤理解為復數而出現第①句的錯誤。
2. 由and連接的并列主語
①The twentieth lesson and last lesson are very easy for students. (×）
②The twentieth lesson and last lesson is very easy for students. (√)
[解析] the twentieth lesson and last lesson是表示同一概念，譯為“第20課即最后一課”，因此謂語動詞應該用單數。同學們容易錯誤理解“第20課和最后一課”，如果表示兩課，應該表達為“the twentieth lesson and the last lesson”。
特別提醒 由and連接的并列主語表示同一概念時，謂語動詞用單數，表示不同的概念時謂語動詞用復數。
3. 就近原則
①Neither you nor he have been to Beijing. (×）
②Neither you nor he has been to Beijing. (√)
[解析] neither . . . nor連接的并列主語(you ， he)雖然表示兩個人，但根據語言規則，當它連接并列主語的時候，謂語動詞根據就近原則，該由he決定，因此第②句正確。
特別提醒 類似的還有either . . . or，not only . . . but also，not . . . but，以及there be之后的并列主語，謂語動詞的確定都根據“就近原則”。
4. this kind of，a piece of，this pair of等短語作主語
①This pair of trousers are very new, but Tom’s trousers are very old. (×）
②This pair of trousers is very new, but Tom’s trousers are very old. (√)
[解析] trousers作主語時，謂語動詞用復數，但當它被this pair of修飾時謂語動詞由pair的單復數確定。因此第②句正確。
特別提醒 this kind of，a piece of，a bag of，a box of等，這類短語作主語時謂語動詞的單復數由這些短語中的名詞決定，而與它們所修飾的名詞無關。
5. the rest of, half of等短語作主語
①Half of the students have finished most of the work. The rest of it are very difficult. (×）
②Half of the students have finished most of the work. The rest of it is very difficult. (√)
[解析] 根據句意和句子結構可以判斷the rest of it中的it，指the work，而work是不可數名詞，因此第②句正確。
特別提醒 all of，most of，half of，the rest of，以及a lot of，some，any+名詞作主語時，要根據后面的名詞確定謂語動詞的單復數。
6. 一句話提示
①合成不定代詞(如something，anybody等)作主語，謂語動詞用單數；
②動名詞、不定式、從句作主語時，謂語動詞用單數；
③a number of +名詞(復)作主語，謂語用復數，the number of +名詞(復)作主語，謂語用單數；
④none of . . . 作主語時，謂語動詞可用單數，也可用復數。 金題精練
根據句意，從所給出的選項中選出最佳答案。
1. The news _____ very worth listening to.
A. be B. is C. are D. am
2. —_____ this pair of glasses yours？
—No. My glasses _____ on the desk.
A. Is， is B. Are， is C. Is， are D. Are， are
3. The old _____ taken good care of in China now.
A. was B. are C. is D. were
4. Nobody except the twins ___ to Hongkong before.
A. have been B. have gone
C. has been D. has gone
5. —What’s on the plate？
—There _____ some rice on it.
A. is B. are C. has D. have
6. Five years _____ since we met last.
A. have passed B. has past
C. has passed D. have pasted
7. Here _____ some flowers for you.
A. is B. are C. has D. have
8. There __________ a number of teachers， but the number of women teachers ________ only thirty.
A. are， are B. are， is C. is， are D. is， is
9. Not only my uncle but also my parents _______ I am right.
A. think B. thank C. thinks D. are thinking
10. Doing morning exercises _____ good for our health.
A. be B. are C. is D. am
11. Everyone likes people who _____ ready to help others.
A. is B. are C. being D. was
12. The Smith family _____ making dumplings in the kitchen.
A. is B. are C. has been D. can
13. One third of the population in our city ______ farmers in the past.
A. are B. were C. is D. was
14. The headmaster and the teacher ______ coming to us now.
A. are B. is C. will D. am
15. Tom as well as his friends _____ skating every Saturday.
A. are B. is C. go D. goes
(Keys： 1. B 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. C 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. C 11. B 12. B 13. B 14. A 15. D) |
