I.单数主语：
1.当 every-, some-, any-, no- 等构成的不定代词及 each, either, neither 作主语时，谓语动词为单数。
● Someone has told me about it.
● Neither of us likes the film.
2.当 every 或 each 位于两个由连接词连接的单数主语前，谓语动词用单数。(必记之要点!)
● Each girl and boy has a nickname.
● Every man and woman is welcome.
3.位于主谓之间的介词短语不影响谓语动词的数，谓语动词须和主语一致。常见介词短语有：in addition to, together with, as well as, along with, but, except, etc.
(这是一几乎所有考试都不愿放过的重点。)
● The teacher along with his students is going to the party.
● His parents as well as his elder sister have come to see him.
II.复数主语：
1.当主语由 and 或 both ... and 连接，通常采用复数谓语动词。
● Both the girl and the boy are his friends.
2.如主语是both, few或主语前有both, few, several, many 等限定词时，谓语动词须用复数。
● Several novels have been written by her.
● Both got the news at the same time.
3.下列名词总是复数形式且谓语动词必须用复数。
trousers, pants, jeans, glasses, scissors, tweezers, plier, scales , compasses, etc.
● The trousers here are mine.
别忘了：如果以上名词受 “a pair of” “the pair of”修饰时，谓语动词用单数。
The pair of pants is too dirty.
III.单、复数的灵活运用：
1.当主语由 neither... nor, either... or, not only ... but also 或 or 连接时，谓语动词与nor, or, but also后面的词一致，在英语语法中，这被称之为“就近原则”。
● Neither he nor I am going to the airport.
● Not only Mary but also her parents have gone abroad.
2.当主语前面有 none, all, some, any, most, half, majority等词时，谓语动词则根据主语的具体情况而采用相应的单、复数。
● All of the money has been in the bank. (money 是不可数名词)
● All of us have been here.
3.“a number of”是复数，修饰可数名词，谓语动词为复数，“the number of”也修饰复数名词，但谓语动词用单数。(黄金要点!!)
● A number of students have passed the exam.
● The number of students in this class is 50.
IV. 用作单数的复数形式主语：
1.如主语是指：time, money, weight, volume, etc. 虽为复数形式，但谓语用单数形式。
● Two years is a short time.
● One hundred dollars is needed by me.
2.下列单词如：physics，economics，mathematics，statistics，etc;measles，mumps，herpes，etc，news，ethics，politics，etc. 为复数形式，但谓语动词用单数。
● Statistics is a dull subject.
● Politics is important.
3.书、报、杂志、电影的名称作主语，谓动用作单数。
● The New York Times is a good newspaper.
V.下列名词在形式上保持不变，但谓语动词的数取决于其意义：
1.family，team，class，committee，group，audience，faculty，etc.
● The family is big.(总体)
● His family like to watch TV.(家庭所有成员)
2.species，series，etc.
● The species is rare.
● These species are common.
3.sheep，deer，etc.
● The sheep are eating grass.
● The sheep is big.
VI. Chinese, English, French, etc 指语言时，谓动是单数，如与 "the" 搭配，指人民时，谓语动词用复数。
English is used widely.
The English love peace.
VII. 注意下列外来语的单复数形：
单数 复数
basis bases
crisis crises
criterion criteria
phenomenon phenomena
radius radii
alumnus alumni
datum data
medium media
index indices
appendix appendices
alga algae
vita vitae
测试精编
1. Students today are writing ________ of poetry.
A. a great many lines B. quantities of lines C. lots lines D. a large number
2. The bookstore had not ordered ________ texts for all the students in the course.
A. plenty of B. enough
C. as many D. enough of
3. — What did you see? — We saw ________ police there.
A. many B. much C. little D. the
4. — Do you want to wait? — Two weeks ________ too long for me to wait.
A. is B. are C. were D. was
5. There they were greeted by a woman called Zenobia, ________.
A. being a beautiful woman of wealth and position
B. who is beautiful woman of wealth and position
C. a beautiful woman of wealth and position
D. and a beautiful woman of wealth and position
KEYS
1. A 2. B 3. A 4. A 5. C