林有琴
(齐齐哈尔师范高等专科学校 黑龙江 齐齐哈尔)
摘要:主语和随后的谓语动词在“人称”和“数”的方面的一致关系常为三种不同的原则所支配,即语法一致原则,意义一致原则和就近原则。这种一致的关系对中国学生来说,掌握上往往有一定的困难,特别是相同词语或结构有时受到习惯用法等方面的制约有两种不同形式的主谓一致。本文分别从四个方面对两种形式的主谓一致进行整理归纳。
关键词:主谓一致 单数形式 复数形式
主语和随后的动词(或词组)之间的一致关系常为三种不同的原则所支配,即语法一致原则,意义一致原则和就近原则。但有时受到习惯用法和不同语体,语域的制约,相同词语或结构却有谓语动词单复数两种形式均可的情况,便于学习,整理归纳如下:
一.以-ics结尾的学科名称,以-s结尾的地理名称,疾病名称,游戏名称和其他以-s结尾的名词。
1.以-ics结尾的学科名称通常作单数用.
a. Politics (政治学)is the art of science of government. .
b. Economics (经济学)is the science of the way in which industry and trade produce and use wealth.
如果学科名称前有such, one’s the等词或某些形容词限制时,及表示“学科”以外的其他意义,便可作复数用。
a. Such ethics are deplorable.
b. What are his politics (政治观点)?
c. The economics (经济意义)of the project are still being considered.
2.以-s结尾的地理名称,如果是国名因是单一政治实体,作单数用.
a. The United States is a large country in North America made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia.
b. In early January 1976 the Netherlands was hit by its worst storm since 1953.
如果是群岛,山脉,海峡,瀑布等地理名称,作复数用。
a. The Alps cover an area of 200,000 square kilometers and are the greatest mountain range in Europe..
b. The West Indies, apart from the Bahamas, are commonly divided into two parts.
3. 以-s结尾的疾病名称通常作单数用。
a. Mumps is a kind of infectious disease.
b. He suffers from diabetes, which is a kind of chronic disease.
但也有一些疾病名称既可作单数也可作复数用。
a. Measles are / is sometimes caused by a tapeworm.
b. Rickets is / are caused by malnutrition.
4. 表示游戏名称的名词通常作单数用。
a. The theory of falling dominoes comes from the word “dominoes” which is a game played with a set of dominoes.
b. Has skittles been a popular game in England?
但也有个别表示游戏名称的名词作复数用。
a. Cards are not allowed here.
当用于做这些游戏所用的镖或弹子等意义时, 用其复数。
a. The dominoes are laid face downwards.
b. All nine skittles were brought down by the good throw.
5. 其他以-s结尾的名词也有单,复数均可的情况。
a. His whereabouts (行踪)were / was known only to his personal staff.
b. Dramatics (舞台艺术)of the performance were / was marvelous.
c. The tidings (消息)has / have come a little too late.
有些以-s结尾的单,复数同形的名词,如barracks, headquarters, means, series, species, works等,随后动词的单,复数形式取决于这些名词是用作单数, 还是用作复数。
a. A barracks was stormed by the enemy troops.
Two barracks in the suburbs have been surrounded.
b. The only means to achieve success is to appeal to arms.
All means have been tried out to increase agricultural production.
还有少数这类名词用作单数和用作复数意义不同。
a. The odds are in our favor. (形势对我们有利。)
b. What’s the odds? (有什麽要紧?)
二. 集体名词作主语时的动词形式。
1. 有些集体名词如foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise 作主语,谓语动词只用单数
a. The furniture in the room has been made to order.
b. All necessary machinery has been brought to the construction site.
有些集体名词如police, people, cattle, militia, poultry, vermin作主语,谓语动词只用复数
a. The British police have only very limited powers.
b. Domestic cattle provide us with milk, beef and hide.
2. 有些集体名词既可作单数也可作复数,如将该名词所表示的集体视为一个整体,动词用单数。
a. He joined the party which is in power.
b. The anti-crime committee is to make its report tomorrow.
如将侧重点放在组成集体的成员上,动词用复数。
a. He joined the party who were walking before him.
b. The government have discussed the matter for a long time but they have shown no signs of reaching an agreement.
三.并列结构作主语时的动词形式
1. 由and或both…and连接的并列结构作主语如果意义为复数,谓语动词用复数,如表示单数意义,则动词用单数。
a. The tenth and the last chapter were translated into Russian by bob.
b. Both his brother and sister are married.
c. A cart and horse was seen in the distance.
如果由and连接的名词词组是 each…and each; every…and every… 或 many a … and …等,这种结构在意义上仍是单数,从而谓语动词也用单数。
a. Each boy and each girl was congratulated.
b. Every tree and every bush is to be cut down.
c. Many a man and woman in this community finds himself or herself in need.
2. Either… or, Neither…nor… 结构作主语,应根据就近原则确定谓语动词的单复数形式,而且这种用法比较保险。
a. Either your eyesight or your brakes are at fault.
b. Neither I nor my brother has seen the film.
但从意义上讲, “neither X nor Y” 接近 “both (not-X) and (not Y)” 所以在口语中下面句子用…have arrived / are比…has arrived / is更普通。
a. Neither he nor his wife have arrived.
b. Neither the teacher nor the student are interested in the book.
在非正式文体中,由either … or连接两个单数名词作主语间或也可跟复数名词。
If either David or Janet come, they will want a drink.
在neither (of…), either (of…)作主语时,习惯上用单数动词, 但复数也可以。
a. Neither of the books is of any use to me.
b. Let’s go down to business, if either of you are ready.
c. I sent cards to Mavis and Margery but neither (of them) has / have replied; in fact, I doubt if either ( of them ) is / are coming.
四.其他两种形式的主谓一致
1. None 和none of作主语时,谓语动词可以是单数,也可以是复数。用单数时强调单个,即“其中一个也不”,用复数时强调整体“所有的人或物都不”
a. Of all the arguments he brought forward, none has a shed of evidence to support it.
b. None of his works display any familiarity with the life of the laboring masses.
c. None of these is / are mine. ( 这句中动词单数形式,主要用于正式文体中, 实际上一般情况下用are较普遍些。)
下面两句用单复数含义不同:
a. None of them are the men I met this morning.
他们都不是我今天早上遇到的那些男人。(早上我遇到过不止一个男人)
b. None of them is the man I met this morning.
他们都不是我今天早上遇到的那个男人 (早上我遇到的只有一个男人)
2. 在“one of + 复数名词 + 关系分句” 结构中,从句中谓语动词是单数还是复数取决于关系代词的先行词究竟是哪一个。先行词是one时,动词用单数,先行词是关系代词前的名词或代词时,动词用复数,另外,如one前有the或the only,则谓语动词必须用单数。
a. One has to be careful of one’s friends and consequences.
b. This is one of the cars that were damaged in the accident.
c. He is the only one of those boys who is willing to take on another assignment.
“One in / One out of + 复数名词”结构在句中作主语时,在正式语体中,动词用单数;在非正式语体中,动词也可按“就近原则”用复数。
a. One in ten students has failed the exam.
b. One out of twenty was badly damaged.
比较:
a. One in ten students have failed the exam.
b. One out of twenty were badly damaged.
3.当主语是half of, rest of, part of, portion of, percent of, percentage of, two thirds of时,如果其后是不可数名词或单数可数名词,则谓语动词需用单数;如果其后是复数名词,则谓语动词需用复数。
a. Half of the food was wasted.
b. Half of the apples are bad.
c. A small percentage of it is useless.
d. A large percentage of school-books now have pictures.
4. all作主语表示可数名词时,谓语动词用复数;all作主语表示一个整体或一个概念时,谓语动词用单数;all和一个定语从句连用,谓语动词用单数;all加复数名词作主语,谓语动词用复数;all加不可数名词作主语,谓语动词用单数。
a. All are welcome.
b. All is well.
c. All that I can say is this.
d. All of the mourners were dressed in black.
e. all of the food has gone.
5. the youth, kin, data 等作主语时,谓语动词用单复数均可。
a. The youth of today has / have greater opportunities than ever before.
b. His next of kin were / was told of his death.
c. The data is / are still being analyzed.
(本文为黑龙江省高等教育学会“十一五”规划课题《英语学习策略的调查与研究》 课题编号115F-020)
参考文献:
[1] 章振邦 新编英语语法教程 [M] 上海:上海外语教育出版社 2004
[2] 毕勤胜 英语疑难大全 天津: 天津大学出版社 1995
[3] 英语辅导 [J] 1984 (6)
[4] 英语惯用法大词典 北京: 北京科学技术出版社 1995
正文字数约为3000字。
作者简介:林有琴, 出生于1961年,女,黑龙江省泰来人,齐齐哈尔师范高等专科学校外语系副教授, 从事英语教学与研究。