1、主谓一致subject-verb agreement定义谓语动词的数必须和主语的人称和数一致,这就叫主谓一致。原则：语法一致，主谓一致意义一致谓语的一致不是根据其外部语法形态来决定，而是取决于主语所表达的内在含义。主语形式虽为单数，但在意义上却为复数，谓语动词应采取复数形式；主语形式虽为复数，但在意义上视为单数，谓语动词应采取单数形式。例如：The crowd were fighting for their lives.这些人正为生存而战斗。Three years in a strange land seems like a long time.在异乡生活的三年，仿佛是很长的时间。1.当表示时
2、间，金钱，体积，重量，面积，距离，价格、度量等的名词作主语时若其意义指“总量”应看作单数，谓语用单数；但若其意义指“有多少数量”，则应该看作复数，那么谓语动词也应该用复数。Ten years is quite a long time.Four weeks often approximately regarded as one month.2.当“the+形容词（过去分词）”指一类人作主语时，谓语用复数。指个人或抽象概念时，谓语用单数。指一类事物时谓语动词一般用单数。The rich live a happy life,while the poor live a hard life.The wo
3、unded is our captain.The disabled are well taken care of in this country.The unknown is what interests me.3.当某些以-ics结尾的学科名称physics(物理学)、mathematics(数学)、mechanics(机械学)、politics(政治学)、statistics(统计学)、economics(经济学)、linguistics(语言学）athletics(体育学)等学科名词作主语时，谓语用单数。Maths is difficult to learn.Physics is not
4、 easy to understand.4.用作书名、剧名、报名、国名、地区名书名、剧名、报名、国名、地区名称的复数名词作主语时，谓语用单数。The Arabian Nights is a very interesting book.The United States is a developed country.特殊：由山脉、群岛、瀑布、运动山脉、群岛、瀑布、运动会等s 结尾的专有名词作主语谓语用复数。The Olympic Games are held once every four years.The Himalayas（喜马拉雅山脉)have a magnificent variety
5、 of plant and animal life.5.如果名词词组的中心词是all,most,half,rest,part等词语，表示的是复数意义，谓语动词用复数形式，反之用单数。All of the rubbish was cleared away.All of the classmates have passed the examination.Most of the workers have gone home for a holiday.6.集体名词作主语时，谓语动词的数取决于主语表示的意思和数，当表示整体时候，谓语动词就用单数；当强调集体中的个体时候，谓语动词就用复数。这些集体名词
6、如：army,audience,band,government,group,public,team,troop,crowd,firm,family等等The family is the basic unit of our society.The family were watching the TV.The audience was enormous.The audience were greatly moved at the words.Class 3 are unable to agree on the plan.His family has just moved to Beijing.7
7、.有的名词如police,people,clothes,public,cattle等没有单数形式，作主语时，谓语只能用复数，而有的名词则是单数、复数相同，如sheep,deer,aircraft,means,fish,works,species,等，作主语时，就必须根据意思来确定其谓语的单复数形式。Shortly after the accident,the police were sent to keep order.The Chinese people are brave and hardworking.The cattle are grazing in the sunshine.Ever
8、y means has been tried.All possible means have been tried.三、就近一致三、就近一致:谓语动词根据它前面最邻近的名词或代词或其他词的数的形式，来决定其自身的数的形式。1.连词or,eitheror,notbut,neithernor,not onlybut also,whetheror等连词并列作主语时，谓语与它最靠近的主语一致。Either you or I am going to answer his question.Not only he but also his friends have been to New York.2.在
9、there be结构中，如果主语不只是一个，谓语通常和邻近的主语一致。There is a desk and three chairs in the room.There are three chairs and a desk in the room.（1）Not only his children but also he himself _(want)to go there.（2）Either my wife or I _(be)going to work there.(3)Either I or they_(be)responsible for the result of the matter.(4)Here _(be)a pen,a few envelopes and some paper in the drawer.wantsamareis
