張良
摘 要:大學英語四、六級考試中最難得分的一項就是寫作,而中國學生由于文化背景、思維方式、表達習慣的不同,往往會在寫作中犯一些“低級”錯誤。如最簡單的主謂一致。為幫助學生糾正寫作中出現(xiàn)的此類錯誤,本文擬從主謂一致的原則、句型、詞性等方面進行探討。
關鍵詞:英語;寫作;主謂一致
英語寫作中的主謂一致,主要是講句子的謂語動詞必須同主語的人稱和數(shù)一致。主謂一致要遵循語法、概念和相鄰一致的原則,因此,在實際運用中,必須牢記以下幾項原則。
一、主謂一致三原則
1.語法一致原則
句子的謂語動詞必須同主語的數(shù)一致,這一原則只表現(xiàn)在動詞的現(xiàn)在時以及be動詞的現(xiàn)在和過去時。例如:①The sky is blue;②Those books I saw yesterday were interesting.
2.概念一致原則
句子的謂語動詞和主語的數(shù)的一致是根據(jù)實際概念,而不是根據(jù)語法形式。例如:Her family always comes first in her mind.他心里總是想著家。(“家”作為“整體”概念)
The family all live together 全家人住在一起。(“家”作為“全體成員”概念)
注意:某些主語的形式是復數(shù),但在概念上是單數(shù),因而謂語動詞用單數(shù)。
二、某些句型中的主謂一致
1.“there be﹢主語”句型
(1)在“there be﹢簡單主語”中,謂語動詞的數(shù)取決于be后面的主語的數(shù)。例如:①There is a song in my heart;②There are 30 students in my class.
(2)在“there be﹢并列主語”中,謂語動詞的數(shù)同它鄰近的主語一致。例如:①There is a boy and three old men under the tree;②There is some paper,a dictionary and two notebooks on the desk.
2.疑問句中的謂語動詞通常與它鄰近的主語的人稱和數(shù)的一致。例如:①Where is she and her babies to go tomorrow?②Are you or she to stay here?
3.在“it is...that/which/who...”句型中,如果That/which/who用作從句的主語,從句中謂語動詞的人稱和數(shù)必須同that/which/who的先行詞一致。例如:①It is the people who make history.②It is Mary who is sweeping the floor.
三、并列主語的主謂一致
1.由and連接的聯(lián)合結構作主語
(1)如果and后面的那個名詞前加了冠詞,主語是復數(shù),則謂語動詞用復數(shù)。例如:①My friend and the classmate Mark are in the classroom;②Jack and his wife are my close friends.
(2)如果and后面的那兩個名詞前沒有冠詞,and連接的兩個名詞是指相同一個人、同一件事或者同一概念,則謂語動詞應用單數(shù)。
The bread and butter is served for breakfast.
My best friend and adviser has changed his mind again.
類似的and具有with的含義,指同一個概念的還有:the needle and thread針線;a knife and fork一副刀叉;doctor and writer醫(yī)生兼作家;the ebb and flow盛衰:漲落。
2.由with,along with,like,accompanied by,besides,as well as,together with,in addition to,including,no less than,rather than,as much as引起的結構跟在主語后面,該主語不受這些修飾詞和詞組的影響。例如:①Tom,as well as John,is away today;②His sister no less than you is wrong.
注意:有時在with結構里,加上with之后,with就具有and的含義,謂語動詞用復數(shù)。例如:One man with his wife,both looking very anxious,were asking the guard to let them through;
3.both...and連接的并列主語,謂語動詞要用復數(shù)。例如:Both industry and agriculture have been greatly developed since the nations reform.
四、集合名詞作主語的主謂一致
1.某些集合名詞作主語,謂語動詞用復數(shù),這類集合名詞有:cattle,clergy,police,vermin等。例如:These cattle are on their way to market.
2.某些集合名詞作主語,如果當作整體看,謂語動詞用單數(shù),如果當作個體看,謂語動詞用復數(shù)。這類集合名詞有:band,audience,board,cavalry,choir,class,committee,crowd,crew,crowd,family,gentry,jury,nation,party,poultry,regiment,school,squad,team.例如:①The audience was enormous.(聽眾人數(shù)很多);②The audience were enjoying every minute of it.(聽眾自始自終都很欣賞);③The crew was large.(有很多乘務人員);③The crew were all tired.(乘務員個個都很累了)endprint
五、數(shù)詞作主語的主謂一致
1.基數(shù)詞作主語,謂語動詞通常用單數(shù)。但如果基數(shù)詞表示兩個或更多的人或事物時,謂語動詞則用復數(shù)。例如:①In their system of numbers 60 was a very important number;②Twelve were absent.
2.算術式作主語,謂語動詞通常用單數(shù),但有時也用復數(shù)。例如:Five from nine is four.
2 and 2 is/are four.
3.分數(shù)(百分數(shù))﹢of﹢名詞作主語,謂語動詞用單數(shù)或復數(shù)主要取決于of后面的名詞的數(shù)。如果是可數(shù)名詞的復數(shù),謂語動詞用復數(shù)。如果是可數(shù)名詞的單數(shù)或不可數(shù)名詞,謂語動詞通常用單數(shù)。
六、書籍,雜志或報刊名稱作主語以及字母單詞作主語的主謂一致
1.書籍,雜志或報刊名稱是復數(shù)名詞或用and連接的單數(shù)名詞作主語,謂語動詞通常用單數(shù)。例如:①The Times is a paper of long standing;②Crime and Punishment is perhaps the best-constructed of Dostopevskys novel.
2.字母單詞或符號作主語時,謂語動詞用單數(shù)。例如:①No is his usual reply to any request;②㎡:means m×m.
注意:以-s結尾的表示山脈,海峽瀑布群島等的專有名詞作主語時,謂語動詞往往應復數(shù)。例如:①Niagara Falls are not as high as Victoria Falls;②The Philippines lie to the southeast of China.
總之,英語寫作中的主謂一致看似簡單,實則相當復雜,這就需要我們在寫作中注意主謂一致的一些特殊情況。這樣才能在行文中寫出符合英文表達習慣的英語作文。
參考文獻:
[1]章振邦.新編英語語法教程[M].上海:上海外語教育出版社,1999.
[2]袁懋梓.實用大學英語語法[M].北京:外語教學與研究出版社,2003.
[3]李玉林,王開玉,陸建非.當代大學英語實用語法[M].南京:河海大學出版社,1999.endprint