主谓一致(Subject-Verb Agreement),即谓语动词在“人称”与“数”上要和主语保持一致,这就是中英文的差异之一。中文中“他喜欢你”和“他们喜欢你”中的“喜欢”没有体现主语单复数的差别,而这两句话在英文当中则有“likes”和“like”的差别。
语法一致原则
“语法一致”是指主语和位于在单复数形式上保持一致,即主语名词是复数形式时,谓语动词也为复数;主语为单数名词或不可数名词时,谓语动词则为单数形式。例如:
①The girl is playing volleyball now. 这个女生正在打排球。
②These girls are playing volleyball now. 这些女孩正在打排球。
1.单数主语+with, along with, together with, like(像),but(除了), except, besides, as well as, no less than, rather than(而不是), including, in addition to等词和短语时,谓语动词仍用单数。
例如:①Air as well as water is important. 空气和水都很重要。(主语Air决定后面用is)
②No one except two servant was later for the dinner. 除了两个仆人,没有一个人来用餐。(主语No one决定后面用was)
2.由and链接的并列主语,如果主语表示的是同一人、同一事、同一概念,谓语动词则用单数,否则用复数。
例如:①The poet and writer has come. 那位诗人兼作家来了。(poet and writer表示同一人)
②A hammer and a saw are useful tools. 锤子和锯都是有用的工具。(表示两个事物)③其他由and连接的组合名词,如bread and butter(黄油抹面包),knife and fork(刀叉)等做主语时,谓语动词用单数。
3.不定式(短语),动名词(短语),或从句做主语时,谓语动词用单数。
例如:①Serving the people is my great happiness. 为人民服务是我最大的幸福。(动名词短语做主语)
②Where we will go for dinner has been decided. 我们要去哪里吃完饭已经决定了。(从句做主语)
4.用each,every,many a或no连接并列主语,谓语动词用单数。
例如:①Every boy and every girl likes to go climbing. 每个男孩和每个女孩都喜欢爬山。
②No teacher and no student was late for the meeting. 没有老师也没有学生开会迟到。
③Each man and each woman is asked to help. 每个男人和每个女人都被请去帮忙。
★each+of+可数名词复数,谓语动词仍用单数。
例如:Each of us has something to share. 我们每个人都有事情要分享。
★many a+可数名词单数,表示“许多”,但谓语动词仍用单数。
例如:Many a boy likes playing basketball. 许多男孩都喜欢打篮球。
5.由kind(from, type, sort, species, portion, series)of等修饰的主语,谓语动词形式取决于这些词的单复数,而不是它们后面所修饰的名词。
例如:①All kinds of difficulties have to be overcome. 必须克服各种各样的困难。(all kinds决定后面用are)
②A series of meetings between the leaders is on Friday. 领导之间一系列的会议在周五。(A series 决定后面用is)
6.the number of(……的数目)和the variety of (……的种类)修饰名词做主语时,谓语动词用单数形式。
例如:①The number of the students is 50. 学生的数目是50。
②The variety of goods on sale in the shop is surprisingly wide. 商店里出售商品的种类多得惊人。
英语主谓一致的考点难度系数较低,关键在于学生们的细心程度。牢记知识点,做题时就能及时抓住考点,得分就很容易了。