主谓一致是语法学习中的一个重点, 也是一大难点。处理主谓一致需遵循三条原则, 即语法一致原则、意义一致原则和就近原则。然而, 在具体使用时, 学生常感困惑不解。本文从以下几个方面入手帮助学生解决这一难点问题。

　　一、 主语为单数名词的主谓一致问题

　　一般来说, 当主语为单数名词时, 根据语法一致原则, 谓语动词也采用单数形式。

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

　　然而, 情况并不总是如此，请看下列选择题：

　　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.

　　以上句子中的主语从形式上看无一不是单数，如果按照语法一致原则，谓语动词应选择单数形式。然而，若仔细研究，这些单数形式的名词在意义上都为复数。因此，如果按照意义一致原则, 谓语动词应采用复数形式。那么，在这种情况下究竟应遵循哪一种原则？答案是，优先考虑意义一致原则，即谓语动词选择复数形式。

　　从以上例句也可归纳出以下三条规则：

　　1. 当主语在形式上是单数但意义为复数时, 根据意义一致原则, 谓语动词采用复数形式。(见例1)

　　2. 当主语为“形容词 + and + 形容词 + 单数名词”结构时, 根据意义一致原则, 谓语动词采用复数形式。(见例2)

　　3. 当主语为“more + 复数名词 + than one”结构时, 根据意义一致原则，谓语动词采用复数形式。(见例3)

　　俗话说，任何规则都有例外。下面两条规则中的“例外”十分重要，需要牢牢记住。

　　1. 当主语为“more than one + 单数名词”结构时, 尽管有复数之意, 谓语动词仍采用单数形式。

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

　　2. 同样, 当主语为“many a + 单数名词”结构时, 尽管也有复数之意, 谓语动词仍采用单数形式。

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

　　2) Many a chalet covers the bare hillsides.

　　二、 主语为复数名词的主谓一致问题

　　当主语为复数名词时, 根据语法一致原则, 谓语动词一般采用复数形式。

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

　　然而, 也有例外。请看下列例句：

　　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.

　　以上句子中的主语尽管都是复数形式，但谓语动词却均采用了单数形式。这是因为：

　　1. 当主语形式上是复数但意义为单数时, 根据意义一致原则, 谓语动词仍采用单数形式。(见例1)

　　2. 当主语为表示时间、距离、度量等复数名词时, 往往根据意义一致原则, 谓语动词要采用单数形式。(见例2、例3)

　　3. 当主语为“a series of, a portion of, a kind of等 + 名词 (常为复数名词)”结构时, 谓语动词一般根据语法一致原则采用单数形式。(见例4)

　　但是，当主语为“lots of, heaps of, loads of, scads of 等 + 名词”结构时, 谓语动词的单、复数形式取决于其后名词的单、复数形式。如果名词是单数形式, 动词也采用单数形式; 如果名词是复数形式, 动词也采用复数形式。

　　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、 主语为并列结构的主谓一致问题

　　1. 当主语为and, both...and 连接的两个名词词组时, 根据语法一致原则, 谓语动词用复数形式。

　　The visitors and the guide have whirled through the gloomy, God-forsaken villages of Iowa.

　　但是, 当并列主语在意义上指同一人、同一物、同一事或同一概念时, 根据意义一致原则, 谓语动词用单数形式。

　　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. 当主语前或后跟有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等引导的词组时, 谓语动词的单、复数形式依照语法一致原则, 取决于主语的单、复数形式。如果主语为单数形式, 动词用单数形式; 如果主语为复数形式, 动词用复数形式。

　　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. 当主语为each...and each..., every...and every...等结构时, 谓语动词用单数形式。

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

　　4. 当主语为not only...but also, either...or, neither...nor或or连接的并列主语时, 根据就近原则, 谓语动词的单、复数形式取决于最接近它的名词词组的单、复数形式。

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

　　四、 主语为不定代词的主谓一致问题

　　主语为不定代词时, 一般遵循语法一致原则, 即表示单数概念的不定代词(如one, nothing, nobody, anyone等)后, 谓语动词用单数形式; 表示复数概念的不定代词(如many, several, both等)后,谓语动词用复数形式。

　　1) Nobody has given any reasons for Europe's comparative clarity concerning the different functions of men in society.

　　2) Many of the American writers have to fight their way to one of the lowest rungs on the American social ladder by means of pure bull-headedness.

　　但是, 有些不定代词, 如all, most, some, any等作主语时, 要遵循意义一致原则: 如所指为单数意义, 谓语动词用单数形式; 如所指为复数意义, 谓语动词用复数形式。

　　1) Most of the talk was related to the abominable human habitations in that backward region.

　　2) Most of the poor old women are mummified with age and sun.

　　另外，还需特别注意的是, 当不定代词either, neither, none等作主语时, 一般根据语法一致原则, 谓语动词用单数形式, 但在非正式文体中, 也可根据意义一致或就近原则, 谓语动词用复数形式。

　　1) Neither of them has (have) participated in the Olympic Games.

　　2) None of the cures really works (work).

　　五、 定语从句、what-从句的主谓一致问题

　　关于定语从句、what-从句的主谓一致问题, 以下几点需特别注意:

　　1. 关系代词that, who, which在定语从句中作主语时, 其谓语动词的数与该关系代词的先行词的数相一致。

　　1) This article deals with the natural phenomenon which is most interesting to all.

　　2) We offer not a pledge but a request to those nations who have made themselves our adversary.

　　2. 在“one of +复数名词+定语从句”结构中, 定语从句中谓语动词的单、复数形式一般采用复数形式, 但当one之前有the only等限定词和修饰词语时, 即采用单数形式。

　　1) David is one of those boys who go out of their way to be helpful.

　　2) David is the only one of those boys who goes out of his way to be helpful.

　　3. 当what-从句作主语时, 其后的谓语动词通常按语法一致原则采用单数形式。

　　What rests in your hands is the final success or failure of our course.

　　然而, 在下列情况下, 谓语动词用复数形式:

　　1) 在以what-从句为主语的SVC结构中, 如果主语补语是复数时:

　　What we pledge to those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe are our best efforts to help them save themselves.

　　2) 当what-从句的主语和谓语动词均为复数形式时:

　　Sometimes what appear to be disciplinary problems are easily solved by very elementary applied psychology.

　　3) 当what-从句是个具有复数意义的并列结构时:

　　What the both sides are obsessed with and overburdened by are the cost of modern weapons.

　　Exercises: Choose the correct answer from each pair of options.

　　1. The president of the college, together with the deans, ________ (is / are) planning a conference for the purpose of laying down certain regulations.

　　2. Neither his training nor his experience as a railway engineer ________ (qualifies / qualify) him for his job.

　　3. Mr. Gilmore is one of those men who ________ (appears / appear) to be friendly, however, it is very hard to deal with him.

　　4. Neither of the alternatives that had been outlined at the last meeting ________ (was / were) acceptable to the executive committee.

　　5. There are many valuable services which the public are willing to pay for, but which ________ (does / do) not bring a return in money to the community.

　　6. The amount of pressure which the materials are subject to ________ (affects / affect) the quality of the products.

　　7. The weeds and tall grass in that yard ________ (makes / make) the house look as if it had been vacant for quite some time.

　　8. Despite much research, there are still certain elements in the life cycle of the insect that ________ (is / are) not fully understood.

　　9. Just outside of the ruins ________ (is / are) a castle surrounded by high walls and stately trees.

　　参考答案:

　　1. is 2. qualifies 3. appear 4. was 5. do 6. affects 7. make 8. are 9. is

　　(文/李秀萍;英语通大学英语六级考试版2004年第12期;版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)