“主谓一致”是指谓语动词必须和作主语 的名词或代词在人称和数上保持一致。主谓一致主要遵循三个原则:语法一致、意义一致、就近/ 远一致。
近几年高考试题对主谓一致的考查重点主要是:名词作主语时的谓语动词的形式;分数、百分数、动词-ing 形式作主语时的主谓一致。因为主谓一致常与时态语态、各类从句等进行综合考查,且种类繁多,因而也是广大考生十分头疼的一个语法项目。
以下是关于“主谓一致”7个易错点,看看你是不是也犯过这些错误呢?
1. 当主语后跟有说明主语的修饰语,如用with, as well as, along with, rather than, together with, including, in addition to 与修饰语连接时,谓语动词的人称和数与前面的主语保持一致,即“就远原则”。如:
The missing things, as well as the bag, have been found and returned to the owner.
2. 由or, either ... or ..., neither ... nor ..., not only ... but also ... 等连接的名词或代词作主语时,谓语动词要与邻近的主语相一致。如:
Not only the students but also their teacher goes to the exhibition.
【例1】( 单句改错)(2017 • 天津卷改编)
Nowadays, cycling, along with jogging and swimming, are regarded as one of the best all-round forms of exercise.
解析:are → is。句意:骑自行车、慢跑和游泳现在被认为是最全面的锻炼方式之一。由介词短语along with连接的三个动名词作主语,谓语动词应该就远一致,即由名词cycling 决定,用单数,故应将are 改为is。
【例2】 Neither I nor Amy ________ (be) to attend the business conference if we are busy.
解析:is。句意:如果我和艾米都忙的话,就都不去参加商务会议了。neither ... nor ... 连接两个并列成分作主语时,谓语动词与最近的名词或代词保持一致。本题谓语动词应与Amy一致,根据从句的时态可知应用一般现在时。故填is。
点拨:坚持“向前看”和“向后看”原则:
1. 坚持向前看的原则: 在“A + with/along with/together with/as well as/rather than/including/ but/except + B”这些结构中,谓语动词的形式与A 一致。
2.坚持向后看的原则:在“neither A nor B/either A or B/not only A but also B/not A but B/A or B +谓语动词”这些结构中,谓语动词的形式和B 一致。
A and B, both A and B 作主语时(A、B 表示不同的人或物),谓语动词和“A + B”保持一致,谓语动词应该使用复数形式。
【例3】 (2017 • 全国卷Ⅰ )When fat and salt (remove) from food, the food tastes as if it is missing something.
解析:are removed。句意:当脂肪和盐分被从食物中移除,食物尝起来就像是失去了什么一样。本题中主语为表示不同概念的fat 和salt,又因为是被动语态,故答案为are removed。
但如果当and 连接的两个名词是指同一个人或同一件事,and 后的名词前没有冠词,谓语动词应该用单数形式;在and 后面的名词前有冠词,谓语就用复数形式。
试比较:
1.The bread and butter is served for breakfast. 早饭供应黄油面包。
2.The bread and the butter are on sale. 正在出售黄油和面包。
此外,用and 连接的单数主语,前面有each, every,many a, no 等修饰时,谓语动词要用单数形式。如:
Every boy and girl is treated in the same way.
Each pen and each paper is found in its place.
易错点三、分不清“形单意复”和“形复意单”
通常说来,主语为可数名词复数时,谓语动词应使用复数形式。如:
【例4 】(2016 • 全国卷Ⅲ ) Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and (be) too violent for use at the table.
解析:were。根据句意可知,这里指的是刀子因太暴力而不适合在餐桌上使用,believed 后跟一个宾语从句,and 连接了两个并列的谓语,主语knives 是复数,根据时态一致的原则,这里用一般过去时,故填were。
【例5】 (2017 • 全国卷Ⅱ ) Steam engines ______ (use)to pull the carriages and it must have been fairly unpleasant for the passengers, with all the smoke and noise.
解析:were used。根据句意:蒸汽发动机“被用于”拉车,engines 为可数名词复数,故填were used。但英语中有些词的词形是复数,却表示单数含义,即“形复意单”;还有一些词的词形是单数却表复数概念,即“形单意复”,同学们应区别对待。
1. 表示单数概念的形复名词, 如: 学科(maths,physics 等)、机构、书名、剧名等,当它们作主语时,谓语动词通常用单数。如:
Maths is one of the most important courses in the senior school.
The Times is Britain’s oldest national daily.
【例6】(单句改错)The New York Times are widely accepted in America.
解析:are → is。考查主谓一致的用法。句意:《纽约时报》在美国被广泛接受。题干中的主语是一本杂志的名字,谓语动词应用单数形式。
2. 当名词短语中心词为表示距离、金额、时间等的复数名词时,往往把这些复数名词看作一个整体,谓语动词用单数。如:Four thousand dollars is more than she can afford.
3. 集合名词作主语,如果表示整体概念,谓语动词用单数形式;如果强调个体,谓语动词用复数形式。常见的这类名词有:army, audience, class, family, team, crowd,
staff, committee, enemy, government, population 等。试比较:
(1)The government who were responsible for this event attempted to find a solution. (强调个体)
(2)The government which was responsible for this event attempted to find a solution. (表示整体概念)有些集合名词如cattle, people, police 等,通常表示复数意义,谓语动词应用复数。如:
Cattle were allowed to graze on the village common.
The police are searching for a tall dark man with a beard.
点拨:针对“形单意复”和“形复意单”这类问题,同学们应学会“具体问题具体分析”,认真记住不同类别词语的用法,仔细思考其表达的具体含义。
1. 动名词短语作主语,谓语动词用单数形式。
【例7】 (2016 • 全国卷Ⅱ ) Leaving the less important things until tomorrow (be) often acceptable.
解析: is。句意:把不重要的事情留到明天通常是可接受的。本题考查句子结构和主谓一致,本句中动名词短语作主语,谓语动词用单数形式,故使用is。
2. -ing 分词的复合结构通常由物主代词、人称代词宾格、名词所有格或者名词的普通格+-ing分词构成,在句子开头时必须用物主代词和名词所有格,在句中作主语时看作单数。如:His coming makes us very happy.
【例8】(单句改错)His being rejected by two world famous companies have made this excellent graduate overcome with sorrow.
解析:have → has。句意:这位优秀的毕业生被两家世界著名的公司拒绝使得他伤心不已。主语为His being rejected by two world-famous companies, 为-ing 分词的复合结构,应当看作单数。
“分数或百分数+ of + 名词”构成的短语作主语时,谓语动词的单复数取决于of 后名词的数。如:
Two thirds of the work was done yesterday. (谓语由the work 决定)
Only one third of the students come to school on time(. 谓语由the students 决定)
【例9】It is reported that 80% of the middle school students ________ (sleep) less than nine hours every night.
解析:sleep。名词由分数或百分数修饰且作主语时,谓语动词的单复数取决于介词of 后的名词,本句of 后的the middle school students 为可数名词复数形式,因此谓语动词应用复数形式。
1. 主语为从句
名词性从句作主语时,谓语动词通常用单数。但如果是两个或两个以上的从句由and 连接表示两个概念时,谓语动词用复数。如:
Whether we go camping tomorrow depends on the weather.
【例10】(单句改错)What caused the snow slide and how many tourists are injured is still unknown.
解析:are → is。句意:什么导致雪崩以及多少游客受伤还不清楚。本题中,主语为What caused the snow slide和how many tourists are injured,是两个并列的从句,故应看作复数。
另外,what 从句作主语时,谓语动词的数由其表示的意义来决定。试比较:
(1)What you want is a big bag.
(2)You need not get any more stamps. What we have are quite sufficient.
2. 定语从句中的主谓一致
(1)关系代词who, that, which 等在定语从句中作主语时,谓语动词的数应与句中先行词的数保持一致。
【例11】 (2017 • 江苏卷改编) The publication of Great Expectations, which________(be)both widely reviewed and highly praised, strengthened Dickens’status as a leading novelist.
解析:was。句意:《远大前程》的出版得到了广泛的评价和高度的赞扬,也强化了狄更斯作为领袖级小说家的地位。本题中,which 引导非限制性定语从句,which 指代The publication ofGreat Expectations,而其中的中心词是The publication,故应该用单三形式。此题易错误地认为谓语动词由Expectations 决定而误填were。
(2)当先行词是“the only one of +复数名词”时,从句谓语动词用单数形式 ;当先行词是“one of +复数名词”时,从句谓语动词用复数形式。试比较:
① He is the only one of the students who was late this morning. 他是今天早上唯一迟到的学生。
② He is one of the students who were late this morning.
他是今天早上所有迟到学生中的一个。
【例12】( 单句改错)Linda is easy to recognize as she’s the only one of women who wear evening dress.
解析:wear → wears。“the only one of + 复数名词”作先行词时,定语从句的谓语应根据the only one 决定用单数。本题中定语从句的关系词who 所指代的并非women,而是Linda,故将wear 改为wears。
1. 强调句与主谓一致
强调句中,强调句子的主语时,that 或who 之后的谓语动词的人称和数要与它前面被强调的名词或代词一致。
如: It is Mary and Tom who often do good deeds.
【例13】 (2014 • 湖南卷改编) It’s not doing the things we like, but liking the things we have to do that make life happy.
解析:make → makes。句意:不是做我们喜欢的事情而是去喜欢我们必须做的事情才能使人生幸福。主语“not doing the things we like, but liking the things we have to do”为被强调部分, 包含了not...but... 结构,应使用“就近原则”,谓语动词应该由“liking the things we have to do” 决定,应看作单数。
2. 完全倒装与主谓一致
在使用了完全倒装的题目中,谓语应与其后的名词保持主谓一致。
【例14】(单句改错)Look, on the left of the woods lie a small farm, where her father once worked.
解析:lie → lies。本句中,on the left of the woods lie a small farm 属于将地点状语提前的完全倒装句,不少同学误认为单词woods 为本句主语,而实际上真正主语为后面的a small farm。结合本句中的“Look”,应用动词lie 的现在时的单三形式。
【例15】 (2013 • 上海卷改编) Among the crises that face humans are the lack of natural resources.
解析:are → is。句意:缺少自然资源是人类面临的危机之一。本句是倒装句,真正的主语是the lack of natural resources,所以谓语用单数is。
点拨:针对强调句和完全倒装句中的主谓一致问题,建议同学们采用“还原法”解决。强调句型的基本结构为It is/was + 被强调部分+ that/who + 其他;其最大的特点就是去掉It is/was...that/who 后句子仍然成立。而使用了完全倒装的题目中,将句子还原为陈述语序,可以快速抓住主谓关系,从而解决问题。