【意义一致原则】
I. 集合名词作主语时:
1. 有些通常作复数用(不变词形)。如:“people,police,cattle (牛,牲口),folk,youth,militia (民兵)”,等。e.g.
The police have caught the murderer .警方已捕获凶手。
2. 有些指“整体”时作单数,指其中的“成员”时作复数(不变词形)。如 “army,audience(听众),class,club (俱乐部),company(公司),committee(委员会),crew,crowd,staff(员工),family,public,government,group,party,union,couple,population,team .”等。e.g.
①Our family is a happy one. 我们有个幸福的家庭。
②The family are early risers. 这家人都起得早。
③The public are (is )requested not to litter. 请公众不要乱扔废弃物。
但上述集合名词也可有复数形式。如:families,two classes .等。有些变复数形式后意义不同。如:peoples多个民族。 youths男青年。 folks亲友。
II. 代词作主语时:
1. 不定代词“each,one,much,(a)little,elther,neither,another,the other(+单名)”等常作单数用。它们所修饰的主语也作单数。e.g.
①Each of the girls (Each girl)has a new hat. 每个女孩都有顶新帽子。
②Neither plan suits me .③Neither of the plans suits / suit me. 两个计划都不适合我。
2. 下列复合不定代词一般作单数用:“someone,somebody,something,anybody,anyone,anything,everybody,everyone,eveything,nobody,no one,nothig ”等。e.g.
①Is everybody here? 都到齐了吗?
②There was nothing special then. 那时没什么特别情况。
3. 下列不定代词作复数用:“(a)few,many,several,both”等。e.g.
①Few (of the guests)were familiar to us. 没几个(客人)是我们熟识的。
②Both / Both (of)these are interesting. 两部影片都有趣。
4. 下列代词须视其“具体所指”来决定单、复数:
1)“what,which,who,whose ”等。e.g.
①Who is your brother?你兄弟是谁?
②Who are League Members .哪些是团员?
2)“all,some,more,most,any,none,a lot(of ),lots (of ),”等。e.g.
①All (of the students)are working hard .(所有的学生)都在用功。
②All (of the paint)is fine .(这些油漆)都很好。
3)“half(of),plenty (of),the rest(of),(a)part(of),the remainder(of )余下的)”,等。e.g.
①Half of the apples are bad .苹果中有一半是坏的。
②Half of the apple is bad .这只苹果坏了一半。
Ⅲ. “数词”、“数量、单位”等词语作主语时:
1. 表示“运算”的数词通常作单数 .e.g.
Ten times four makes(make)forty .+ 乘以四得四十。
2.表“时间、距离、金额、度量衡”等的词语,作“整体”看时作单数用,侧重指“若干单位”时作复数用。e.g.
①Twenty years is not a long time. 二十年光阴,弹指一挥间。
②Twenty years have passed since he left. 他离开已二十个年头了。
3.“分数、百分数”通常依其“具体所指”来决定单、复数。e.g.
①About 40 percent / two-fifths of the books here are (is)worth reading. 这些书中百分之四十/五分之二值得读。
②Only sixty percent / three-fifths of the work was done yesterday .昨天只干完了百分之六十/五分之三的工作。
4. “a number of (许多)/ a varlety of (各式各样)”+复数名词,常作复数用。e.g.
①A number of students in this class are (is)from Sichuan. 这个班有不少同学来自四川。
②There are a variety of toys in this shop.这家商店有各种各样的玩具。
但是,“the number(数目)/ the variety(种类)”+ of + 复数名词,作单数。e.g.
①The number of students in this college has doubled. 这所大学的学生人数翻了一番。
②The variety of goods in this shop is rich. 这家商店货物品种丰富。
Ⅳ. 单、复数同形或易混的词作主语时:
1.以“-ics”结尾的学科名词:指教育、科研的某一学科,作单数。e.g.
Mathematics seems easy to me .我似乎觉得数学不难。
但是,表“具体的学业、活动”等时,多用作复数。e.g.
①Her mathematics are weak. 她数学差。(指“学业成绩、能力”)
②What are your politiscs? 你的政治观点如何?
2. “works工厂,means方法,series系列,species物种,aircraft飞机”等名词单、复数同形,要从上下文判断其具体意义来决定单、复数。e.g.
①This works was(These works were)built two years ago. 这(几)家工厂是两年前修建的。
②Every means has (All means have)been tried. 各种办法都试过了。
这类名词通常还有“fish,deer,sheep,headquarters (总部驻地),bellows(风箱),plastics,gallows (绞架),manners(礼貌),whereabouts (行踪),”等。(但news(消息)是不可数名词,通常只作单数用。)
Ⅴ. “the + 形容词/分词”作主语时:
1. 指“一类”人或事物时,常用作复数用。e.g.
①The English speak English. 英国人讲英语。
②The rejected were heaped in the corner. 废品堆在角落里。
2.指“某一个”人,或“抽象的”事物时,作单数用。e.g.
①The deceased was his father. 去世的是他父亲。
②The agreeable is not always the useful. 好看的不一定中用。
③The new and progressive always wins over the old. 新生、进步的事物总是要战胜旧的东西。
Ⅵ. 专用名词作主语时:
1.“书名、剧名、报刊名、国家名”等通常作单数用。e.g.
①The United States was founded in 1776. 美国成立于1776年。
②The Arabian Nights is very interesting. 《天方夜谭》很有趣。
2.“书刊名”有时作单数或复数两可,尤其是编成集子的书。e.g.
Dickens' Amerian Notes were (was)published in 1842 .
狄更斯所著的《美国笔记》出版于1842年。
Ⅶ. “what等引导的从句”作主语时:
1. 大多作单数用。e.g.
①What we need is more practice. 我们需要的是更多的实践。
②What he says doesn't agree with what he does. 他言行不一致。
2.若从句是含复数意义的并列结构、或“表语”是复数时,谓语动词用单数或复数两可。e.g.
①What you say and think is /are no business of mine. 你怎么说以及怎么想,不关我的事。
②What he bought was /were some books. 他所买的是几本书。