1. 指代意义决定谓语的单复数
1)代词what, which, who, none, some, any, more, most, all等词的单复数由其指代的词的单复数决定。例如:
All is right.
All are present。
2)集体名词作主语时,谓语的数要根据主语的意思来决定。如family, audience, crew, crowd, class, company, committee等词后,谓语动词用复数形式时强调这个集体中的各个成员,用单数时强调该集体的整体。例如:
His family isn't very large。
His friend are music lovers.
但集合名词people, police, cattle, poultry等在任何情况下都用复数形式。例如:
Are there any police around?
3)有些名词,如variety, number, population, proportion, majority 等有时看作单数,有时看作复数。例如:
A number of +名词复数+复数动词。
The number of +名词复数+单数动词。
A number of houses have lent out。
The majority of the children like English。
6. 与后接名词或代词保持一致
1)用half of, most of, none of, heaps of, lots of, plenty of 等引起主语时,谓语动词通常与of后面的名词/代词保持一致。例如:
Most of his time is spent on books。
Most of the students are taking an active part in sports。
2)用a portion of, a series of, a pile of 等引起主语时,谓语动词通常用单数。例如:
A series of accidents has been reported。
A pile of lots was set beside the hearth。
3)如 many a 或 more than one 所修饰的短语作主语时,谓语动词多用单数形式。例如:
Many a person has read the novel。
More than 60 percent of the students are from the city。
Exercise:
1. Not only my uncle but also my parents _______ I am right。
A. think B. thank C. thinks D. thanks
2. The Smith family _____ making dumplings in the kitchen。
A. is B. are C. has been D. can
3. The teacher as well as the students _____ the book already. They know it well。
A. has read B. have read
C. are reading D. is reading
4. The city is not very big. One or two days _____ enough to see it。
A. is B. are
C. am D. be
5. The headmaster and the teacher ______ coming to us now。
A. are B. is C. will D. am
6. One third of the population in our city ______ farmers in the past.
A. are B. were C. is D. was
7. More than 60 percent of world's radio programs _______ in English。
A. is B. was C. are D. be
8. What we need _____ good textbooks。
A. is B. are C. have D. has
9. What you said ______the matter we are discussing。
A. have something to do at B. has something to do with
C. had something to do with D. has been something to do with
10. A large number of students in our class _____ girls。
A. are B. was C. is D. be
11. Three-fourths of the homework ______today。
A. has finished B. has been finished
C. have finished D. have been finished
12. Mary is one of the girls who ______ always on time。
A. is B. were C. are D. was
13. More than a month ____ since the foreign friends met her.A. has passed B. have passed C. has past D. have past
14. There’re lots of English books, and ____ of them is easy to understand。
A. both B. all C. each D. every
15. Books of this kind _____ well。
A. sell B. sells C. are sold D. is sold
The answers: 1-5 ABABA 6-10 BCBBA 11-15 BCACA