??主语和谓语动词之间数的一致是英语中非常重要的关系。决定主谓一致的有若干原则，如语法一致（grammatical agreement）、意义一致（notional agreement）、就近一致（principle of proximity）等。主谓的语法一致就是从语法上取得一致，即主语为单数形式，谓语动词也采取单数形式；主语为复数形式，谓语动词也是复数形式。下面着重谈谈主谓的语法一致原则在大学英语考试中容易出错的的几种情况：

??1．如果主语是一个抽象概念，谓语动词要用单数形式。如：
??Growing vegetables needs constant watering．

??2．单一的动名词或动名词短语、不定式作主语时，谓语用单数。如：
??Writing stories and articles is what I enjoy most．

??3．介词短语和副词作主语时，谓语动词用单数。如：
??In the desk is where he left it．
??Slowly is exactly how he speaks．

??4．主语从句作主语（what引导的主语从句除外）时，谓语动词用单数形式。如：
??Whether or not we'll go to Beijing has not been decided yet．

??5．所有由两部分组成的物体的名词作主语，当不用量词时，谓语用复数。如：
??The trousers fit me very well．

??6．如果主语后面跟有with，together with，along with，like，but，except，including，in addition to，as well as，no less than，rather than，as much as，more than，accompanied by，followed by等引起的短语时，谓语动词不受影响。如果主语原来是单数，谓语动词也为单数形式；如果主语原来是复数，谓语动词也为复数形式。如：
??John like his parents is very kind to others all the time．
??The workers as well as the manager are working very hard．

??7．any＋单数名词，some ＋单数名词，every ，each，every．．．and．．．，each．．． and．．．，either，neither，another， the other，anybody，nobody，somebody，everybody， anyone，no one，someone，every one，anything，nothing，something，everything等作主语时，在正式英语中要求动词采用单数形式。如：
??Every man and woman is treated in the same way．
??Neither of them has been to Beijing．
??Somebody is waiting for you in the next room．

??8．不可数名词前面如果有表示数量的复数名词，后面常跟复数动词作谓语。如：
??Four kilometers of water were polluted in yesterday's oil leaking．

??9．many a，more than one，no one except＋名词作主语时，尽管意义是复数概念，但谓语动词 用单数形式。如：
??Many a person has had that kind of experience．
??More than one person was involved in the case．

??10．在定语从句中，关系代词who，that或which后的动词与所指的先行词在数上一致。在"one? of ＋复数名词＋who ／that／which引导的定语从句"结构中，由于who ／that／which最靠近复数名词而不是one，故定语从句中谓语动词取复数形式。而只有前面出现the only，exactly修饰时，分句中谓语动词才采用单数形式。如：
??He is one of the persons who are very kind．
??He is the only one ofthe students who has been given the first prize．

??11．由"a number of，a group of ，a crowd of"等修饰的复数名词作主语时，谓语动词要用复数形式；而"the number of ．．．"（……的数量）作主语时，谓语动词要用单数形式。如：
??A number of students have finished their homework before August．
??The number of students in our college is increasing．

??12．强调结构中，动词要与It一致，都用It is（was）．．．。如：
??It is my teachers who are very kind to me．
??强调句型中，当关系代词who，that作主语时，动词的单复数取决于所修饰的先行词。如：
??It is I who haven't finished reading the book．
??It was my friend who was late for the class．

??13．算术中的加法与乘法，谓语动词通常单复数都可以。如：
??Three fives are（is）fifteen．
??减法与除法中用单数动词。如：
??Three from eight leaves five．
??Fifteen divided by three equals five．