9.agreement

主谓一致（－）

“一致”（concord或agreement ）指句子成分之间或词语之间在语法形式上的协调关系。在英语中主要关系是主语和谓语动词之间数的一致。但最主要的还是主语和谓语的一致。主谓一致是主语和谓语动词在“人称”和“数”方面的一致关系，这又叫做“主动一致”即Subject verb concord

主语和随后的动词词组（即谓语动词）之间的一致关系有三种不同的指导原则：

（1）语法一致原则（Grammatical concord）

主语和谓语动词之间的一致关系主要表现在“数“的形式上，即用作主语的名词词组中心词和谓语动词在单复形式上的一致。如果名词中心词是复数，动词就该用复数形式；如果名词中心词不是复数而是单数名词或不可数名词，动词便用单数形式。这种一致关系叫做语法一致。如：Both boys have their own merits.

Each boy has his owe book .

（2）意义一致原则（Notional concord）

主语和谓语的一致关系并非取决于语法上的单复数关系形式，还取决于主语的单复数意义，比如有时主语在语法形式上并非复数，但有复数意义，随后的使用复数。反之，主语在语法形式上是复数而在意义上可视为单数，随后的动词也用单数。这种一致关系叫意义一致。如：

The government have asked the country to decide by a vote .

Fifty-six dollars was stolen from the cash register .

（3）就近原则（Principle of proximity）

就近原则就是句子的谓语动词的人称和数往往和最近的词或短语保持一致。如：

Only one out of five were present.

No one except his own supporters agree with him.

Neither the actors nor the play appeals to any one .

主谓一致（二）

三种不同的指导原则并非绝对，在实际使用中会受习惯用法和不同语体，语域的制约1）以－s 结尾的名词作主语的主谓一致问题：

英语可数名词的规则复数形式是在词尾加－s或－es ，但是有一些以－s 结尾的名词并非可数名词。它们当中有的作单数用，有的作复数用，有的既可以作单数也可以作复数用。这样就造成实际使用上的困难，因此值得注意。

【1】以－s 结尾的疾病名词和游戏名称。

英语中有一些疾病名称是以－s结尾的，如arthritis（关节炎），bronchitis（支气管炎），rickets（软骨病），mumps（腮腺炎），diabetes（糖尿病）等，这类名词通常用作单数用。如：Mumps is a kind of infectious disease.

但也有一些疾病名称即可作单数也可作复数用。如：

Generally measles occurs/occur in children .

表示游戏名称的名词通常作复数用。如：

Darts are not allowed here.

当darts，marbles等用于作这些游戏所用的镖或子弹等意义时，其复数形式仍作复数用。

如：There darts are thrown at each turn.

2）以-ics结尾的学科名称，如physics , mathematics, optics, athletics, tactics等，

通常作单数用。如：]

Physics is an important subject in middle schools.Acoustics is the science of sound.

但若这类名词表示“学科”以外的其他意义，便可作复数用。

My mathematics 【运算能力】is/are rather shaky.

The acoustics 【音响效果】in the new concert hall are faultless.

The economics 【经济效益】of the project are still being considered.

3）以－s的地理名称

某些以－s结尾的地理名称，如果是国名，如：United States ，the United Nations 等。尽管带有复数词尾，但系单一政治实体，故作单数用。如：

The United States is a country of people with varied origins.

但若不是国名，而是群岛，山脉，海峡，瀑布等地理名称通常作复数用。如：

The Himalayas have a magnificent variety of plant and animal life,

4）其它以－s结尾的名词

英语中有一些由两个部分组成的物体名称通常以－s结尾。如：scissors, pincers, glasses, trousers.若不用“一把”“一副”“一条”等单位词而单独使用，通常作复数形式。如：The sugar-gongs are not in the sugar bowl.

英语中有一些以－s结尾的名词，如archives【档案】, arms【武器】, clothes【衣服】等，通常作复数。但也有少数这类名词单复均可。如：

His whereabouts 【行踪】were/was known only to his personal staff.

The dramatics【舞台艺术】of the performance were/was marvelous,

凡是由－ings结尾的名词如clippings【剪下来得东西】diggings【掘出的东西】earnings 【收入】等通常作复数用。

还有一些以－s结尾的单复数同形的词，如：barracks【营房】，headguarters【总部】，means【方法，手段】等，随后动词的单复数形式取决于这些名词使用作单数还是复数。

主谓一致（三）

（－）以集合名词作主语的主谓一致问题：

谓语动词的数取决于作主语的集合名词表示的意义，当主语作为一个整体看待时，谓语用单数，若强调其中的各个成员则用复数。如：

My family is not very large. 我家的人不很多。

My family are all sports lover. 我家里人都喜欢体育。

还有一些，如：police, people, cattle, militia, poultry, vermin, army等，通常作复数，用复数动词。

又有一些集体名词，如：foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture等，通常作不可数名词，随后的动词用单数。

还有一些即可作单数也可作复数的名词如：audience, committee, class, crew, family, government, public 等

特殊情况的：如果主语是由a committee of /a parcel of /a (the )board of ＋复数名词，随后的名词通常用单数。如：

A committee of five men and three women is to consider the matter.

（二）以并列结构作主语的主谓一致问题：

1，由and连接的多个成分，若表示一种事物或一种概念时，用单数动词；若表示的是多个不同概念时，则用复数动词。

The writer and the translator are delivering a speech in our college tonight.

2．若and连接两个并列主语，且后面的名词由相关的副词【not, perhaps, particularly, even, too, likewise, as well 等】修饰则谓语动词形式与and 前面的动词保持一致。因此此时句子真正的主语应是and 前面的名词，此时and与前面的名词之间常有逗号隔开。如：The horse, and not the donkey is used in games of racing’.

3．Or/nor/either…or连接的并列主语，动词形式与其靠近的主语保持一致。即“就近原则”如:He or I am to go .

Her sister or his brother has a hobby of collecting stamps.

4.Every…and(every)…,each…,and(each)…, any…,and(any)…,no…and(no)…,many

a …and (many a)…连接的并列主语，用单数谓语动词。

Every hour and every minute is important.

5．Either…or…,not only…but also…,neither…nor…谓语动词单复数与or, but(also), nor 后面的词一致。

Not only the students but also their teacher is required to the meeting.

6．主语＋with, together with , along with , as well as , as much as , including , in addition to , added to , except, besides , rather than , accompanied by ＋另一主语的结构中，谓语动词形式与第一个主语保持一致。如：

Mary, along with her sister , attends the sessions regularly.

（三）以表示数量概念的名词词组作主语的主谓一致。这类情况较复杂，基本可归纳为：1，如kind, type , sort, class, species, breed, variety, form, brand, make 等表示类别的名词，总的规律是：句子谓语动词单复数与of前面的名词形式保持一致。如：

This kind of apple is sour.Apples of this kind are sour.

2．A pair of＋复数名词，看作整体用单数谓语动词。

3．the＋最高级＋of＋名词复数＋单数谓语

4．A number of

An average of }＋名词复数。用复数动词，强调数量. A total of The number of /average of /total of＋名词复数，用单数动词强调整体。

5．A part of ＋{单数名词――单数谓语

复数名词――复数谓语

与此类似的还有:the rest /remainder of , most of , plenty of , 分数（如two-thirds of），百分数＋of等等。它们的谓语动词数依of 后面名词而定，名词为单，则谓语动词为单；

名词为复，则谓语动词为复。

A part of the apple is bad.

A part of the apples are bad.

（四）依名词性分句作主语的主为一致问题：

以名词性分句作主语，随后的动词通常用单数，但有时也会产生主谓一致的问题。有以下规律可遵循：

1）以名词性wh-分句作主语

由what, who, how, whether等wh－词引导的名词性分句作主语，其后的动词用单数，如：What coursed the accident is a completely mystery.

两个由连接的并列名词性分句作主语，如果主语表示两件事情，动词用复数。如：

What coursed the accident and who was responsible for it remain a mystery to us.

2）以what－分句作主语的主，谓，宾结构

在以what－分句作主语的主，谓，宾结构中，如果主语补语是复数名词，主语谓语动词可用复数。如：What was real to him were the details of his life .

如what－分句明显表示复数意义，比如what－分句的动词和补语都是复数，那么主语动词也可用复数。如：What are often regarded as poisonous fungi are sometimes safely edible.

3）以非限定分句作主语以非限定分句（主要是不定式分句和－ing分词分句）

作主语。随后的动词通常用单数。如：Incensing their wages has raised the crew’s

morale. 以两个由and连接的并列非限定分句作主语，如果指的是两件事，动

词用复数；如果指的是一件事，动词用单数。如；

Reading Ibsen and solving a quadratic equatrom are entirely different assignments.

each,much,one of,many a, everyone,someone,anything 等不定代词做主语时，谓语动词通常用单数：Much has been said……Every boy and girl has died for his honour.

2.any,more,most,part,some Almost two-thirds of the oranges were bad. About two-thirds of the

sugar was split. either …or… or neither…nor…..

Neither she nor I have explained it. Either the girl or the boy has eaten the apples.

4当复数名词表示整体概念时，谓语动词用单数：

Ten kilometers is a long distance. Threee meters is about ten feeet.

5．当一些复数形式表示单数含义时，谓语动词用单数。当一些单数形式表示复数含义时，谓语动词用复数。 A series of books has been published. Forty per cent of the population are youths.The wages of sin is death. About 450 million people live in India.

6. none,pains and means谓语动词用单数或复数,但句子必须一致：

None of us like (or likes ) to mix with her. None are so deaf as those who are not willing to hear . Considerable pains is endured by parents with teenage children.All possible means of recovering the jewels have been tried.

7.Neither of her parents is a teacher.

tag questions

1.It’s the second time that Joe has been absent from school ,_____?(is n’t it)

2.Let us pass,______? (will you).

3.Let’s have a rest,____? (shall we)

4.Y ou ought to go there,______ you?(ought n’t ,shouldn’t)

5.Y ou needn’t buy such an expensive coat,_____ you? (need)

6.He shouldn’t drink so much,___he? (should)