Subject-Verb Agreement

一、由连接词连接的名词或带有后置定语的名词作主语

1.[ 考例 ] ：When and where to build the new factory ___

yet. (NET’91) A. is not decided B. are not decided C. has not decided D. have not decided

解析：当 and 连接的两个词表同一概念，或同一人（物）时，谓语动词用单数形式。

2.[ 考例 ]:1) A library with five thousand books ___ to the

nation as a gift. A. is offered B. has offered C. are offered D. have offered

2) E-mail, as well as telephones, ___ an important part in daily communication. ( 上海’ 90) A. is playing B. have played C. are playing D. play

3) Nobody but Jane ___ the secret. (MET’86) A. know B. knows C. have known D. is known

当主语前有 as well as, as much as, no less than, along with, with, like, rather than, together with, besides, in addition to 等引起的短语作后置定语时 , 谓语动词的形式视主语的单复数而定 .

3[ 考例 ] Either you or the headmaster___ the priz

es to these gifted students at the meeting. ( 上海‘ 94) A. is handing out B. are to hand out C. are handing out D. is to hand out

由 either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also 连接的两个词作主语时，根据就近原则，谓语动词的形式以邻近的主语的数而定。

二、代词作主语1.[ 考例 ]--- Each of the students , working hard at hi

s or her lessons, ___ to go to university.

--- So do I. ( 上海’ 98) A. hope B. hopes C. hoping D. hoped

当 either (each, one)+ of+ 复数名词 , 或 some, any, no, every 和 body, one 或 thing 构成复合不定代词作主语时 , 谓语动词用单数形式 . none, neither 作主语时 , 谓语动词单复数都可 .

2. 考例： She is one of the few girls who __

_in the kindergarten. ( 上海‘ 94) A. is well paid B. are well paid C. is paying well D. are paying well

关系代词在定语从句中作主语时，谓语 动词的形式与句中先行词应保持一致。

e.g. Those who want to go please sign your name here.

This is the photo, which shows my house.

[ 注意 ] 在“ one of+ 复数名词 + 关系代词” 的结构中，定语从句中谓语动词用复 数形式；但是若前有 the only, the every 将其限定为只有一个时， 谓语动词用单数形式

e.g. Tom is one of the students who are good at playing football.

Tom is the only one of the students who is good at playing football.

三、分词、量词作主语考例： ___ of the land in that district___ cov

ered with trees and grass.( 上海 2000) A. Two fifth; is B. Two fifth; are C. Two fifths; is D. Two fifths; are

由分数或百分数或或 a lot of, lots of, plenty of, a large quantity of, half of, the rest of+ 名词作主语时，谓语动词的形式与 of 后面的名词的数一致

e.g. Lots of damage was caused by fire.Some students are planting trees. The rest

of them are watering them.

四、名词作主语1考例： A group of ___ are eating ___ and ___ at the f

oot of the hill. (NMET’95) A. sheep; grass; leaves B. sheeps; grasses; leaves C. sheep; grass; leaf D. sheeps; grass; leafs

由集体名词，如 family, team, class, crew, company 等作主语时， 如果看成一个整体，谓语动词用 单数形式 ,如果看成其中各成员， 则用复数形式

e.g. His family is going to have a long journey.

The whole family are watching TV.注意：集体名词为 people, polic

e, cattle ，谓语动词用复数形式

e.g. The police are searching for the thief.

2 考例：All the ___ are made of ___ , not plastics. (ME

T’93) A. glass; glass B. glasses; glass C. glass; glasses D. glasses; glasses

成双成对构成的东西，如 glasses, shoes, chopsticks, scissors 等作主语，谓语动词用复数形式，但与 pair 一起构成作主语时，谓语动词的形式与的数一致 .

e.g. This is pair of glasses is his.

1) 作度量，距离，金额，篇名等用的复数名词作主语时，谓语动词用单数。

e.g. The Emperor’s Clothes was written by Hans Christian Anderson.

2 ）不定代词 each, every, no 所修饰的名词，即使用 and 或逗号连接作主语，或主语为 more than one, many a + n. 谓语动词用单数

Every boy and every girl has a book in their bags.Many a teacher has been there.More than one child has read the book.

3) 在 a series of , a part of , a kind of + n. 作主语时，谓语动词的形式根据名词的数而定

e.g. A series of works have been printed.A part of the food has gone bad.4) these/those kinds/types of + n. 作主语时，

谓语动词用复数。e.g. These kind of tests are good.

五、名词化的形容词作主语e.g. The rich are to help the poor.The wounded was a young boy. 以定冠词 the + adj. （或过去分词）结构作

主语，谓语动词常用复数形式，如 the brave, the poor, the blind, the sick, the unemployed 等，但有少数过去分词与定冠词连用时指个体，用单数形式。

六、从句作主语1) What we need is more time and more

materials.2) What we need are teachers. 单个从句作主语时，谓语动词用单数，多

个从句作主语时，谓语动词用复数，由 what 引导的主语从句，谓语动词用单数，但所指的具体内容为复数意义，则一般用复数形式。