主詞動詞一致性

主詞動詞一致性
Subject-Verb Agreement

　

基本原則：單數主詞需要單數動詞；複數主詞需要複數動詞。My brother is a nutritionist. My sisters are mathematicians.

　

1. 你給我記住：不定代名詞 (indefinite pronouns) anyone, everyone, someone, no one, nobody 永遠是單數！

Everyone has done his or her homework.
Somebody has left her purse.


若干不定代名詞 (如 all, some) 為複數或單數 -- 視其所指的名詞為可數或不可數而定。

Some of the beads are missing.
Some of the water is gone.


相對地，none 這個不定代名詞可為單數或複數都沒關係，除非句子中有別的人事物來決定它的數。

None of you claims responsibility for this incident?
None of you claim responsibility for this incident?
None of the students have done their homework. (在最後這個例子中，their 這個字告訴你要使用複數動詞，不能使用單數動詞。)


2. 你給我記住：若干不定代名詞特別麻煩：everyone 和 everybody， 它們讓我們覺得我們好像是在談論一個人以上，所以應該使用複數動詞；而 each 的後面通常接以複數字做結尾的介系詞片語，這經常困擾我們對動詞的選擇。

Everyone has finished his or her homework.


記住：你一定要說 "Everybody is here." 這意謂這個字是單數，沒有什麼事情會改變此一事實。

Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work in the library.


別讓 "students" 給迷惑了；主詞是 each，而 each 永遠是單數：Each is responsible.

　

3. 你給我記住：together with， as well as 和 along with 等片語與 and 並不相同.

The mayor as well as his brothers is going to prison.
The mayor and his brothers are going to jail.


由 as well as 或 along with 所引導的片語係修飾前面的字 (本例為 mayor)，但它並未使主詞複數化 (而 and 則有使主詞 1+1=2 的複數化作用)。

　

4. 你給我記住：neither 和 either 這兩個代名詞永遠是單數，即使就某一方面來說它們似乎是指兩樣事物。

Neither of the two traffic lights is working.
Either suit is fine with me.


5. 你給我記住：連接詞 or 並沒有結合的作用，所以，在使用 or 或 nor 的場合，比較接近動詞的主詞決定了動詞的數。至於主詞是在動詞的前面還是後面則無關緊要。

Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the house.
Neither my brothers nor my father is going to sell the house.
Are either my brothers or my father resposible?
Is either my father or my brothers responsible?


6. 你給我記住：there 和 here 永遠、絕對不是主詞。

There are two reasons [複數主詞] for this.
There is no reason for this.
Here are two apples.
在這種結構中，主詞跟隨在動詞之後。


7. 你給我記住：第三人稱、單數主詞 (he, she, it) 的現在式動詞以加 s 做結尾。其他動詞則否。

He loves； she loves；they love . . . .


8. 你給我記住：有時修飾語是放在主詞和動詞之間，但這些修飾語不應混淆主詞及其動詞之間的一致性。

The mayor, who has been convicted along with his four brothers on four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to have several political lives, is finally going to jail.


9. 你給我記住：有時當主詞的名詞具有怪異的型態，可能使我們將單數名詞誤以為複數名詞，或將複數名詞誤以為單數名詞。glasses， pants， pliers，和 scissors 等字被視為複數，除非它們的前面有 pair of 這個片語 (此時 pair 這個字就變成了主詞)。

My glasses were on the bed.
My pants were torn.
A pair of trousers is in the closet.


10. 你給我記住：分數字詞如 half of， a part of， a percentage of， a majority of 有時是單數，有時是複數，視意思而定。(當然，這也適用於 all， any，more， most ， some 當主詞的情況。) 數學過程的總和與乘積係以單數來表示。

Some of the voters are still angry.
A large percentage of the older population is voting against her.
Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the battle.
Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed by fire.
Two and two is four.
Four times four divided by two is eight.


11. 你給我記住：有些字以 s 做字尾，但卻是單數。

The news from the front is bad.
Measles is a dangerous disease for pregnant women.


相對地，有些以 s 做字尾的字指的是單一事物，但卻是複數。

My assets were wiped out in the depression.
The average worker's earnings have gone up dramatically.
Our thanks go to the workers who supported the union.