英语语法“主谓一致”二三事(上)
2022-02-25王艳萍
王艳萍
在英语句子中,谓语动词必须与主语在人称和数上保持一致,这叫“主谓一致”。近几年高考,对该内容的考查主要涉及“语法一致”“意义一致”“就近一致”这几方面。
下面,笔者先向大家介绍语法一致的具体用法。
“语法一致”是指主语和谓语动词在语法形式上保持一致。当主语为单数形式时,谓语动词用单数形式;当主语为复数形式时,谓语动词用复数形式。
单数可数名词、代词、动词不定式短语、动名词短语或从句作主语时,谓语动词一般用单数形式;主语为复数形式时,谓语动词用复数形式。
例:Leaving the less important things until tomorrow is often acceptable.(2016·全国卷II)
注意:由what引导的名词性从句作主语时,谓语动词的单复数形式取决于主语从句指代的意义。
例①:What I can tell you is that the tsunami wave cannot be stopped.
例②:What we need are ten books.
“and / both...and...”连接并列成分作主语时,谓语动词用复数形式。例如,Both the students and the teacher are playing football now.
1.如果and连接的两个并列主语指的是同一个人或事物(第二个名词前没有限定词),谓语动词要用单数形式。
例:The poet and writer has produced many works.(这位诗人兼作家出版了许多作品。)
2.由and连接的并列单数主语前分别有each、every修饰时,谓语动词用单数形式。
例:Every hour and every minute is very valuable.
主语为单数名词或代词,尽管后面跟有“with, together with, along with, like, as well as, as much as, more than, rather than, except, but, besides, including”等具有连接意义的单词或词组,谓语动词仍用单数形式,此为就前(远)原则。
例:The musician along with his band members ________ (give) ten performances in the last three months.(2019·江苏卷)
【解析】句子主语“The musician”是单数形式,根据“in the last three months”可知句子的時态为现在完成时,故填“has given”。
主语是“either/neither/each/every/no +单数名词”或由some、any、no、every构成的复合不定代词时,谓语动词用单数形式。
例:When every pupil in the school wears the uniform, nobody has to worry about fashion.(2019·浙江卷)
trousers、glasses、clothes、shoes、jeans等由两部分构成一个整体的名词作主语时,谓语动词常用复数形式。例如,My trousers are old, so I want to buy a new pair.
1.如果主语前有a series of、a kind of、a piece of、a pair of 等量词修饰时,谓语动词要用单数形式。
例:A pair of shoes is lying under the bed.
2.如果主语为“名词+ of this kind”,谓语动词应与of前的名词保持数的一致。
例:Apples of this kind are highly priced.
“many a/more than one +单数名词(许多……)”作主语时,谓语动词用单数形式。“more +复数名词+ than one”作主语时,谓语动词通常用复数形式。
例①:Many a student in our class likes pop music while many students in their class like classic music.
例②:More members than one are against your plan.
表示数量的短语“a quantity of / an amount of +名词”或“quantities of / amounts of + 名词”作主语时,谓语动词的单复数形式根据quantity和amount的单复数形式而定。
例①:A large amount of clean water is waster every day.
例②:Large quantities of money have been spent on the project so far; it is enough.
在倒装句中,谓语动词的单复数形式应和其后主语保持一致。
例:By the lake are two chemical works, one of which was built last year.
定语从句中的语法一致
1.在定语从句中,关系代词that、who、which作主语时,其谓语动词的数应与句中先行词的数一致。
例:If you look at all sides of the situation, youll find probably a solution that suits everyone.(2020·江苏卷)
2.先行词是“one of +复数名词”时,定语从句的谓语动词用复数形式。
例:Tommy was one of the doctors who were devoted to saving peoples lives in WuHan.
注意:“one of +复数名词”作主语时,谓语动词要用单数,如2021年高考全国甲卷的短文改错中“One of the questions are:Who will you go to in times of trouble?”这一句需要考生把“are”改为“is”。
3.先行词是“the only one of +复数名词”时,定语从句的谓语动词用单数形式。
例:She is the only one of the children who is good at music here.