考点二 主谓一致
技巧点拨
在英语中,最重要的一致关系就是主谓一致。主谓一致指谓语动词要与主语的中心词语在“人称”和“数”的方面保持一致。主谓一致主要遵循三个原则:
(1)语法一致
根据主语的单复数来确定谓语动词的单复数,在语法上保持一致。the girl plays和the girls play完全符合语法一致的原则。如果主语是复数,谓语动词用原形;如果主语是单数,那么谓语动词也用单数。
(2)意义一致
动词的单复数取决于主语所表达的概念,而不仅仅由表面的语法标记决定。如:The basketball team are warming up.集合名词team本身就有复数的意思,表示整个球队的队员们。做题时就应该考虑主语表达的真正意思。
(3)就近原则
谓语动词的单、复数取决于最靠近它的主语。如:Mike is one of the brightest students who have graduated from Harvard University.在这个句子里,最靠近先行词的是students,而不是one,所以从句中的动词采用复数形式。
关于主谓一致的问题,另外还有几点需要注意:
(1)以单数名词或代词、动词不定式短语、动名词短语或从句做主语时,谓语动词一般用单数形式;主语为复数时,谓语动词用复数形式。
(2)由what引导的主语从句,后面的谓语动词多数情况用单数形式,但若表语是复数或what从句是一个带有复数意义的并列结构时,主句的谓语动词用复数形式。
(3)两个或两个以上做主语的单数名词用and连接,谓语用复数。但若表示一个集合体时则用单数。用and连接的两个名词若被no,each,every,many a修饰,则谓语动词用单数。复数名词用作书、电影、戏剧、报刊、国家等名称时,谓语动词用单数。and后面加no或not,谓语也用单数形式。
(4)以连词or,either...or,neither...nor,there be,not only...but also连接的复合主语,其谓语与其相邻的那个名词的数保持一致。
例如:Neither my friends nor I was able to persuade him to accept our advice.
(5)either,neither,each,every或no+单数名词和由some,any,no,every构成的复合不定代词都做单数看待。
(6)a number of表示“很多”的意思时,修饰可数名词的复数;the number of表示“数量”做主语时,其谓语动词用单数形式。
(7)由“a lot of(lots of,plenty of,the rest of)+名词”构成的短语以及由“分数或百分数+名词”构成的短语做主语时,其谓语动词的数要根据短语中后面名词的数而定。
(8)what,who,which,any,more,most,all等代词可以是单数,也可以是复数,主要依意思而定。
(9)形容词加定冠词the表示一类人时,谓语动词用复数。
(10)当主语后面跟由with,together with,but,along with,like,in addition to,as well as,as much as,rather than,except等连接的词组时,其谓语动词的形式依主语的单复数形式而定。如:Statistics as well as physics always causes me a lot of headaches。学科的名词都要用单数谓语动词,所以应该是causes。
(11)当动名词短语、不定式短语或从句做主语时,谓语动词用单数。如果用and连接两个从句或短语做主语,则需看是表示一个整体还是不同的两件事。注意:从句做主语时有时需根据表语来定。
(12)倒装句there be中的主谓一致也要运用就近原则。例如:There is a pen.这句话的主语并不是there,而是a pen,用陈述句语序来说,应该是A pen is there.如果是两支铅笔和一支钢笔,就该说There are two pencils and a pen.如果是一支钢笔和两支铅笔就成了There is a pen and two pencils.在倒装句中,要找到真正的主语。
完形填空中,关于主谓一致,考生需要掌握的技巧:
(1)语法一致、意义一致和就近原则。(https://www.daowen.com)
(2)找对主语。主语是复数形式的时候,要确定它的单复数意义,若是单数意义就要用谓语动词的单数形式,若是复数意义就用谓语动词的原形。
(3)在倒装句中,找对主语,再根据就近原则来决定谓语动词的单复数。
典型真题
例1:
New research from Australia supports the belief that many pet owners have—it shows that pets are good for your health.The findings of this new study suggest that people who have pets are at less risk from heart disease than 33 who do not.(吉林大学2012年)
33.A.others B.ones C.these D.those
【名师点评】D。指示代词。who do not have pets应该用复数those指代。故答案为D。
例2:
Many years ago people thought the earth was flat.They believed that the sky 61 a big upside-down bowl and that the sun,moon,and stars were lamps hanging from the top of the bowl.(北京航空航天大学2012年)
61.A.is B.was C.had been D.were
【名师点评】B。主谓一致和时态。根据空格后的“that the sun,moon,and starswere lamps hanging from the top of the bowl”是过去时,所以这个空格也应该是过去时,又由于主语the sky是单数,所以此处填was。B项符合文意。
实战演练
1.Electronic futures markets that are based on econometric indices of house prices by city,already begun by City Index and IG Index in Britain and now____developed in the United States,will enable home-equity insurers to hedge the risks that they acquire by writing these policies.
A.is B.being C.been D.are
2.Professor Taylor,with six of his students,____a conference in Boston organized to compare current practice in the United States with those of other nations.
A.are attending B.is attending C.attending D.is attended
3.They said,the sample size,1.2 million,is impressive—far greater than that of a typical survey.And the number of people whom the study shows to be paying attention to the news online____consistent with the low ratings of cable news during the same period.
A.was B.is C.are D.were
答案解析
1.B。动词时态。being代入后,时态上与空格前的now呼应,构成分词结构,与前面的already begun并列为后置定语,共同修饰Electronic futures markets(电子期货市场)。
2.B。主谓一致。主语带有with附加成分,谓语的数不受附加成分的影响仍然与主语保持一致。
3.B。主谓一致。“the number of+复数名词/代词”结构中的中心词是number;“a number of+复数名词/代词”结构中的中心词是of后的复数名词或代词,故谓语动词分别用单、复数。故答案为B。