楊芙蓉 馬瑞香
摘 要:英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法中的主謂一致問(wèn)題是語(yǔ)法教學(xué)的重點(diǎn)和各級(jí)考試的核心。文章主要從以-s結(jié)尾名詞作主語(yǔ)、集合名詞作主語(yǔ)、并列結(jié)構(gòu)作主語(yǔ)和分句作主語(yǔ)四大方面對(duì)主謂一致問(wèn)題作以探討,以期為英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)者和教學(xué)工作者提供參考。
關(guān)鍵詞:英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法;主謂一致;語(yǔ)法一致原則;意義一致原則;就近原則
所謂主謂一致(subject verb concord)是指句子的主語(yǔ)和謂語(yǔ)之間在人稱(chēng)和數(shù)方面的一致或統(tǒng)一關(guān)系[1];支配主謂一致的原則有三:“語(yǔ)法一致原則(grammatical concord)、意義一致原則 (notional concord)和就近原則(principle of proximity)”[2];以下運(yùn)用三條基本原則具體分析英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法中幾類(lèi)不易掌握的主謂一致問(wèn)題:
一、 以-s結(jié)尾的名詞作主語(yǔ)的主謂一致問(wèn)題
1. 一些以-s結(jié)尾的疾病名詞、游戲名詞、學(xué)科名詞、國(guó)家機(jī)構(gòu)名詞等作主語(yǔ)時(shí),其謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞通常用單數(shù)形式;例如:
Diabetes is a kind of chronic disease.
Acoustics is the study of sound.
2. 一些以-s結(jié)尾的由不可分割的兩部分組成的事物名詞作主語(yǔ)時(shí),謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞一般采用復(fù)數(shù)形式,但如果用a / one pair of 之類(lèi)表示單數(shù)概念的數(shù)量詞來(lái)修飾時(shí),則謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞要用單數(shù):例如:
Jeans are still fashionable nowadays.
One pair of scissors is not enough to fix it.
3. 一些以-s結(jié)尾的單復(fù)數(shù)同形的名詞作主語(yǔ)時(shí),如果該詞用作單數(shù),則其后的謂語(yǔ)用單數(shù),若用作復(fù)數(shù),謂語(yǔ)相應(yīng)用復(fù)數(shù);例如:
A series of childrens books has been published.
There are two series of readers:beginners and advanced learners.
二、 集合名詞作主語(yǔ)時(shí)的主謂一致問(wèn)題
1. 表示人或有生命物的集合名詞作主語(yǔ)時(shí),其謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞常用復(fù)數(shù)形式,例如:
The police are going to question him.
2. 表示無(wú)生命的集合名詞作主語(yǔ),謂語(yǔ)通常用單數(shù)形式,例如:
The fruit looks ripe in the orchard.
All the merchandise is imported from abroad.
三、 并列結(jié)構(gòu)作主語(yǔ)時(shí)的主謂一致問(wèn)題
1. 由and,both…and… 連接的并列結(jié)構(gòu)作主語(yǔ)時(shí),根據(jù)語(yǔ)法一致原則,應(yīng)使用復(fù)數(shù)謂語(yǔ),但如果并列結(jié)構(gòu)表示一個(gè)整體概念或意義時(shí),則用單數(shù)謂語(yǔ), 例如:
The stars and stripes is their national emblem.
Knife and fork is placed on the dinner table.
2. 由or, nor,either…or…等連接的并列結(jié)構(gòu)作主語(yǔ)時(shí), 根據(jù)“就近原則”決定謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞,例如:
Not only chairs but also bed has been moved.
Here is a stamp and several envelopes.
四、分句作主語(yǔ)的主謂一致問(wèn)題
1. 在名詞性分句中,當(dāng)一個(gè)限定性分句作主語(yǔ)時(shí),謂語(yǔ)用單數(shù),兩或兩個(gè)以上的名詞性分句作主語(yǔ)時(shí),謂語(yǔ)用復(fù)數(shù),例如:
What I said is true.
What I say and what I think are my own affairs.
2. 在關(guān)系分句(定語(yǔ)從句)中,如果先行詞由one of 修飾,則從句中謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用復(fù)數(shù)形式,若由the one of 修飾,則謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞用單數(shù)形式,例如:
He is one of the boys who are going abroad.
He is the only one of the boys who is going abroad.
3. 在分裂句(強(qiáng)調(diào)句)[3]中,從句的謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞由被強(qiáng)調(diào)的句子的實(shí)際主語(yǔ)決定,并與其保持主謂一致關(guān)系,例如:
It is I who am to blame.
It is my sister who is to blame.
4. 在存在句中,謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞由實(shí)際主語(yǔ)來(lái)決定,當(dāng)實(shí)際主語(yǔ)由并列短語(yǔ)來(lái)充當(dāng)時(shí), 謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞應(yīng)根據(jù)“就近原則”來(lái)決定,例如:
There is a rainbow in the sky.
There are a number of swans and a goose on the lake. (作者單位:沈陽(yáng)大學(xué)外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)院)
參考文獻(xiàn):
[1] Alexander, L.G.,Longman English Grammar[M] . Longman,1997
[2] Murphy,R. English Grammar in Use[M] . Cambridge University Press,1994
[3] 章振邦. 新編英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)法教程[M]. 上海:上海外語(yǔ)教育出版社,1999(第三版)