賈杏園 李曉夢(mèng)

一、注意主語(yǔ)為單數(shù)名詞的主謂一致問(wèn)題

一般來(lái)說(shuō)，當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為單數(shù)名詞時(shí)，根據(jù)語(yǔ)法一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞也采用單數(shù)形式。

A merger is a combination of two or more businesses under a single management.

然而，情況并不總是如此，請(qǐng)看下列選擇題：

（1）The committee ? ? ? ? ?（is/are）of the opinion that the time is inopportune.

（2）Good and bad butter ? ? ? ? ?（is/are）things quite different to our taste.

（3）More educators than one ? ? ? ? （wants/want）to expose those educationally disadvantaged students to enriching educational experiences for a five-year period.

以上句子中的主語(yǔ)從形式上看無(wú)一不是單數(shù)，如果按照語(yǔ)法一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞應(yīng)選擇單數(shù)形式。然而，若仔細(xì)研究，這些單數(shù)形式的名詞在意義上都為復(fù)數(shù)。因此，如果按照意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞應(yīng)采用復(fù)數(shù)形式。那么，在這種情況下究竟應(yīng)遵循哪一種原則？答案是，優(yōu)先考慮意義一致原則，即謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞選擇復(fù)數(shù)形式。

從以上例句也可歸納出以下三條規(guī)則：

1.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)在形式上是單數(shù)但意義為復(fù)數(shù)時(shí)，根據(jù)意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞采用復(fù)數(shù)形式。（見(jiàn)例1）

2.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為“形容詞+and+形容詞+單數(shù)名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，根據(jù)意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞采用復(fù)數(shù)形式。（見(jiàn)例2）

3.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為“more+復(fù)數(shù)名詞+than one”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，根據(jù)意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞采用復(fù)數(shù)形式。（見(jiàn)例3）

俗話說(shuō)，任何規(guī)則都有例外。下面兩條規(guī)則中的“例外”十分重要，需要牢牢記住。

1.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為“more than one+單數(shù)名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，盡管有復(fù)數(shù)之意，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞仍采用單數(shù)形式。

More than one researcher is investigating a series of indicators that could help them to predict earthquakes.

2.同樣，當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為“many a+單數(shù)名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，盡管也有復(fù)數(shù)之意，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞仍采用單數(shù)形式。

（1）Many a ship has been wrecked on those rocks.

（2）Many a chalet covers the bare hillsides.

二、注意主語(yǔ)為復(fù)數(shù)名詞的主謂一致問(wèn)題

當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為復(fù)數(shù)名詞時(shí)，根據(jù)語(yǔ)法一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞一般采用復(fù)數(shù)形式。

Maine’s abundant forests have made it a haven for many kinds of wildlife.

然而，也有例外。請(qǐng)看下列例句：

（1）Billiards is one of his favorite games.

（2）Ten years is a moment in history.

（3）A hundred miles is a long distance.

（4）A series of pre-recorded tapes has been prepared for language laboratory use.

以上句子中的主語(yǔ)盡管都是復(fù)數(shù)形式，但謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞卻均采用了單數(shù)形式。這是因?yàn)椋?/p>

1.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)形式上是復(fù)數(shù)但意義為單數(shù)時(shí)，根據(jù)意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞仍采用單數(shù)形式。（見(jiàn)例1）

2.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為表示時(shí)間、距離、度量等復(fù)數(shù)名詞時(shí)，往往根據(jù)意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞要采用單數(shù)形式。（見(jiàn)例2、例3）

3.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為“a series of， a portion of， a kind of等+名詞（常為復(fù)數(shù)名詞）”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞一般根據(jù)語(yǔ)法一致原則采用單數(shù)形式。（見(jiàn)例4）

但是，當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為“l(fā)ots of， heaps of， loads of， scads of等+名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞的單、復(fù)數(shù)形式取決于其后名詞的單、復(fù)數(shù)形式。如果名詞是單數(shù)形式，動(dòng)詞也采用單數(shù)形式;如果名詞是復(fù)數(shù)形式，動(dòng)詞也采用復(fù)數(shù)形式。

（1）Lots of industrial psychologists are concerned with the manipulation of the worker’s psyche.

（2）Lots of work needs to be done at the moment.

三、注意主語(yǔ)為并列結(jié)構(gòu)的主謂一致問(wèn)題

1.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為and ，both…and連接的兩個(gè)名詞詞組時(shí)，根據(jù)語(yǔ)法一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用復(fù)數(shù)形式。

The visitors and the guide have whirled through the gloomy villages.

但是，當(dāng)并列主語(yǔ)在意義上指同一人、同一物、同一事或同一概念時(shí)，根據(jù)意義一致原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用單數(shù)形式。

（1）Trial and error is the source of knowledge.

（2）If law and order is not preserved， neither the citizen nor his property is safe.

2.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)前或后跟有with，along with ，together with，as well as，as much as，accompanied by，rather than，more than，no less than，besides，except， like，plus， including， in addition to等引導(dǎo)的詞組時(shí)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞的單、復(fù)數(shù)形式依照語(yǔ)法一致原則，取決于主語(yǔ)的單、復(fù)數(shù)形式。如果主語(yǔ)為單數(shù)形式，動(dòng)詞用單數(shù)形式;如果主語(yǔ)為復(fù)數(shù)形式，動(dòng)詞用復(fù)數(shù)形式。

（1）The hostess dressed in her finest costume， together with the guests of honor，was seated comfortably in the living room.

（2）The congressmen， accompanied by secret service agents and aids， are prepared to enter the conventional hall.

3.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為each…and each…，every…and every…等結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用單數(shù)形式。

Each man and each woman has good reasons to be proud of the work done by their fathers.

4.當(dāng)主語(yǔ)為not only…but also， either…or， neither…nor或or連接的并列主語(yǔ)時(shí)，根據(jù)就近原則，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞的單、復(fù)數(shù)形式取決于最接近它的名詞詞組的單、復(fù)數(shù)形式。

On most American farms， one or two principal products are raised for a cash crop.