(一) 当主语是单数可数名词、不可数名词、(疑问词+)to do结构、动词-ing形式、主语从句、复合不定代词、表单位数量的时间、距离、金钱、重量、复数形式的学科名词(physics, politics)、国家或组织名称(the United States, the United Nations)等，谓语动词常用单数。
提示：what引导的主语从句所指的具体内容是复数意义时，谓语动词一般用复数形式。 (如：What we need are good doctors. 我们需要的是好医生。)
如果强调数目，谓语动词用复数。如：More than twenty years have passed since we graduated. 我们毕业后已经过了二十多年。
【考例1】
All the scientific evidence _____ that increasing use of chemicals in farming _____ damaging our health. (2012湖南)
A. show; are B. shows; are
C. show; is D. shows; is
解析：D。evidence与use在句中均为不可数名词，谓语动词用单数形式。
【考例2】
Walmart, which is one of the largest American supermarket chains, _____ some of its stores open 24 hours on Mondays through Saturdays. (2012安徽)
A. keeps B. keep
C. have kept D. had kept
解析：A。Walmart属于专有名词，谓语应用单数形式。
(二) 在“名词/代词+介宾结构+谓语+……”结构中，谓语动词与名词/代词保持一致，介宾结构看作修饰成分。该结构中的常见介词及短语介词有with/together with/along with/as well as/like/rather than/but/except/besides / including / in addition to等。
【考例】
The famous musician, as well as his students, _____ to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Taipei Flower Expo. (2013福建)
A. were invited B. was invited
C. have been invited D. has been invited
解析：B。主语为The famous musician，as well as…起修饰作用，根据2012 Taipei Flower Expo可知，描述的是过去的事，因此用一般过去时。
(三) “all/a lot/plenty/part/the rest/most /分数/百分数+of+名词/代词”作主语时，谓语动词单复数形式一般取决于of后的名词或代词的数。表示复数概念用复数动词，表示单数概念用单数动词。
【考例1】
The factory used 65 percent of the raw materials, the rest of which _____ saved for other purposes. (2011安徽)
A. is B. are C. was D. were
解析：D。which指代前面的the raw materials，为复数形式，因此谓语动词用复数。本句描述过去的事情，因此应用一般过去时。
【考例2】
One-third of the country _____ covered with trees and the majority of the citizens _____ black people. (2011湖南)
A. is; are B. is; is
C. are; are D. are; is
解析： A。the majority of+可数名词复数结构作主语时，谓语动词常用复数形式。
(四)a number of/an average of/a total of等+可数名词复数构成短语作主语时，谓语动词用复数形式;而the number of/the average of/the total of等+名词构成短语作主语时，谓语动词一般用单数形式;
“a great(large)/small number of，many，a few，few, a good(great) many, dozens of, scores of+可数名词复数”结构作主语时，谓语动词应用复数。
a little， little, much， a great deal of， a large amount of一般只修饰不可数名词，其谓语动词用单数形式。(如：A great deal of petrol is wasted. )
【考例1】
The number of foreign students attending Chinese universities _____ rising steadily since 1990. (2009山东)
A. is B. are
C. has been D. have been
解析：C。本句的主语为The number of…结构。
【考例2】
Nowadays, a large number of women, especially those from the countryside, ____ in the clothing industry. (2005辽宁)
A. is working B. works
C. work D. worked
解析：C。句中a large number of…作主语，意为“大量的……”。
(五)“one of+复数名词”作主语时，谓语动词通常用单数形式。但“one of+复数名词”结构后接定语从句时，从句中的谓语动词用复数形式;而在“the only/ right/ very one of+名词+关系代词+从句谓语”结构中，从句谓语动词用单数。
【考例1】
Barbara is easy to recognize as she’s the only one of the women who ____ evening dress. (2010全国Ⅱ)
A. wear B. wears
C. has worn D. have worn
解析：B。从句先行词为the only one of the women，从句谓语动词用单数。
【考例2】
At present, one of the arguments in favor of the new airport ____ that it will bring a lot of jobs to the area. (2009江西)
A. is B. are C. will be D. was
解析：A。该句是one of...结构充当主语。
(六) pairs of/amounts of/quantities of...等构成短语作主语时，谓语动词用复数形式; a pair of(表示一双，一条时)/an amount of / a series of构成短语作主语时，谓语动词常用单数形式。
【考例1】
— Why does the lake smell terrible?
— Because large quantities of water _____. (2009福建)
A. have polluted B. is being polluted
C. has been polluted D. have been polluted
解析： D。该句是quantities of构成的短语作主语，所以谓语动词用复数形式。
【考例2】
As a result of destroying the forests, a large ____ of desert ____ covered the land. (2001上海)
A. number; has B. quantity; has
C. number; have D. quantity; have
解析：B。 a number of后通常接可数名词复数，该句desert是不可数名词, a large quantity of后面接可数名词复数或不可数名词;a quantity of后面加的desert为不可数名词，所以谓语动词用单数形式。
(七) and连接并列主语表示同一概念时，谓语动词用单数形式，表示不同概念时谓语动词常用复数形式。
【考例1】
A poet and artist _____ coming to speak to us about Chinese literature and painting tomorrow afternoon. (2006江苏)
A. is B. are C. was D. were
解析：A。句意：一位诗人兼艺术家明天下午要给我们做关于中国文学和绘画的报告。该题由and连接两个名词作主语，但第二个名词前没有冠词，因此指的是同一人，故谓语用单数形式。注意：由and连接的两个带冠词单数名词，表示复数概念时，谓语动词用复数形式。如： The tenth and the last chapter were written by his father.
【考例2】
Professor James will give us a lecture on the Western culture, but when and where _____ yet. (2007浙江)
A. hasn’t been decided B. haven’t decided
C. isn’t being decided D. aren’t decided
解析：A。 when and where指的是“做讲座的时间和地点”这一个概念，可用单数形式。由yet可知应用完成时态。
【注意】如表示不同的概念，则要用复数。如：When they will start and where they will go have not been decided yet.
(八) cattle/police/people/clothes/goods以及复数可数名词作主语时，谓语动词通常用复数形式。
(九)单复数同形的名词作主语时，谓语动词通常根据句意来确定。常见的这类词有deer / fish / means / sheep / species / works等。如： All means have been tried. 各种手段都试过了。 One means is still to be tried. 还有一种手段尚待一试。
(十)主语是集合名词family / government / public / audience等，表示强调整体时谓语动词用单数，如强调个体谓语动词用复数。
考点二、谓语动词的形式与邻近的名词一致
(一) either…or…/neither…nor…/not only…but also…/not…but…/or等连接并列主语时，谓语动词单复数由最靠近它的主语决定;
(二)在倒装句中，谓语动词单复数由其后面的主语决定。
【考例1】
Either you or one of your students ____ to attend the meeting that is due tomorrow. (2009湖南)
A. are B. is C. have D. be
解析：B。该句主语由either…or…连接，根据就近一致原则，谓语动词与one of your students保持一致。
【考例2】
—Is everyone here?
—Not yet... Look, there _____ the rest of our guests! (2010江苏)
A. come B. comes
C. is coming D. are coming
解析：A。 此倒装句中，谓语动词单复数由其后面的主语the rest of our guests决定。 D项形式为“进行”，实际表示“将来”，不符合题意。
考点三、常见固定格式的主语
(一) 由each...and (each)..., every...and (every)..., many a ...and (many a )..., no... and (no)...等结构作主语时，谓语动词用单数形式。如：
【考例】
— Did you go to the show last night?
— Yeah. Every boy and girl in the area ____invited. (2008陕西)
A. were B. have been
C. has been D. was
解析：D。 and连接并列名词并且被every等修饰时，谓语动词用单数形式。该句描述过去的事情，所以用一般过去时。
(二) many a(n)+单数名词及more than one+单数名词作主语时，谓语动词用单数;而more+复数名词+than+one作主语时，谓语动词用复数;one or two +复数名词作主语时，谓语动词用复数形式; a + 单数名词 + or two作主语时, 谓语动词用单数形式。
如： One or two reasons were suggested. 提出了一两条理由。 A day or two is enough. 一两天就够了。
【考例】
It is reported that many a new house ____ at present in the disaster area. (2010陕西)
A. are being built B. were being built
C. was being built D. is being built
解析：D。many a修饰主语，谓语动词用单数。再根据at present可知“正在被修建”，应该用现在进行时的被动语态。
主谓一致专练
1. Look! A large number of students _____ in the playground.
A. run B. runs C. is running D. are running
2. It is not you or Tom but Alice that _____ to give us a speech about how to learn English well next Wednesday.
A. is B. are C. will be D. have
3. We each _____ a bicycle, but most of us _____ use it frequently.
A. have; don’t B. has; don’t C. have; doesn’t D. has; doesn’t
4. My father, together with some of his old friends, _____ talking in the study for 3 hours.
A. are B. were C. has been D. have been
5. As a result of the dry weather this year, most of the people in the area _____ for drinking water.
A. need looking B. needs to look C. needs looking D. need to look
6. The man dancing with his wife now is the only one of the clerks in his office who _____invited to the palace ball.
A. has B. have been C. has been D. have
7. Every boy and every girl in this school _____ an extra course according to their own interests this term.
A. has chosen B. have chosen C. is chosen D. are chosen
8. So far, not only the workers but also the machine _____ worn out after working day and night for 10 days.
A. has been B. have been C. was D. were
9. A recent report of the media _____ that some of the top students in Beijing _____ chosen to go to universities in Hong Kong.
A. show; have B. shows; has C. show; has D. shows; have
10. Between the two buildings _____ a monument which is in honor of the dead heroes during the Anti-Japanese War.
A. is standing B. are standing C. stands D. stand
11. It was reported that six tourists, including one from the US, _____ in the accident.
A. has injured B. have injured C. were injured D. was injured
12. One of Marx’s works _____ written in English in the 1860s.
A. are B. would be C. were D. was
13. Generally speaking, being hard-working _____ just what it takes for you to be successful in your career.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
14. Nobody but your own father and mother _____ always waiting for you to go home for supper.
A. are B. have been C. were D. is
15. All means _____ been tried but the young are still crazy about violence and destruction, and thus the police _____ to use arms.
A. have; has B. has; has C. have; have D. has; have
16. The professor and writer _____ going to give a lecture this afternoon, so the assistant and the secretary _____ busy preparing now.
A. are; are B. are; is C. is; are D. is; is
17. Over 80 percent of the cattle raised in this country _____ exported to the rest of the world.
A. is B. are C. has D. have
18. — John, there are only two students in the classroom. Where _____ the rest?
— I don’t know.
A. have been B. has been C. are D. is
19. The eco-system of this river has been totally destroyed because large quantities of polluted water _____ poured into it every day.
A. is B. are C. was D. would be
20. The United Nations _____ after World War ｢òto solve the international problems and conflicts in a peaceful way.
A. was found B. was founded C. were founded D. were found
21. No teacher and student _____ to have classes on Sunday.
A. agree B. agrees C. are agreed D. is agreed
22. The construction of the two new railway lines _____ by now.
A. has been completed B. have been completed
C. has completed D. have completed
23. Even though he has lived there for 30 years, very few _____ his address in the town.
A. has known B. are knowing C. know D. knows
24. Such athletes as Liu Xiang _____ widely known, of whose achievements some _____ really amazing.
A. are;are B. is;is C. are;is D. is;are
25. When and where the war in the African country will come to an end _____ still unknown.
A. has B. is C. were D. are
参考答案及解析：
1-5 DAACD 6-10 CAADC 11-15 CDADC 16-20 CBCBB 21-25 BACAB
1. D。“a number of+ 复数名词”作主语时，谓语动词用复数形式;再据上文Look可知，学生们正在跑步，因此用现在进行时。
2. A。强调结构对主语进行强调，not…but…连接并列主语时，谓语动词要就近选择，所以该句谓语与Alice保持一致，用单数形式。
3. A。each充当同位语与谓语动词无关，第一空真正主语是we;第二空主语为most of us，是复数概念。
4. C。“名词/代词+together with...”结构中，together with…作修饰成分，真正的主语是My father，因此谓语动词用单数;再根据句意可知，他们一直在谈话，因此应该用现在完成进行时。
5. D。most of the people作主语，谓语动词形式由people决定，所以用复数形式。need to do sth意为“需要做某事”。
6. C。在“the only/ right/ very one of+名词+关系代词+谓语”结构中，从句谓语动词用单数形式。根据语境可知，应该用被动语态表示“被邀请”。
7. A。在由each...and (each)..., every...and (every)..., many a ...and (many a )..., no... and (no)...等结构作主语时，谓语动词用单数形式。根据语境可知，应用主动语态。
8. A。 either…or… / neither…nor… / not only…but also… / not…but…/or等连接并列主语时，谓语动词单复数由最靠近它的主语决定。此句谓语动词与就近的the machine保持一致，所以用单数;根据时间状语So far可知，应该用现在完成时。
9. D。 第一空主语是A recent report，谓语动词用单数;第二空主语是some of the top students，谓语动词用复数。
10. C。此倒装句中，谓语动词形式由其后面的主语a monument决定，因此用单数。因为描述客观存在，因此用一般现在时。
11. C。句子真正的主语为six tourists，including引导的短语作修饰语，因此谓语动词用复数。根据语境可知，应该用被动语态，表示受伤。
12. D。在“one of+复数名词”结构作主语时，谓语动词用单数;再据时间状语in the 1860s可知，用一般过去时。
13. A。being hard-working是动词-ing形式作主语，谓语动词用单数。
14. D。but在此句中为介词，意为“除……之外”，真正主语是Nobody，不定代词作主语，谓语动词用单数。根据句中的always可知，应该用现在进行时，表示“总是”。
15. C。means等单复同形的词作主语时，谓语动词的形式由句意决定。由All means可知，谓语动词应为复数;第二个分句的主语是police，当主语为cattle, police, people等时，谓语动词用复数。
16. C。第一空主语是and连接的两部分，指身为教授和作家的同一人，谓语动词用单数;第二空主语是and连接的并列部分，都有冠词the修饰，表示助手和秘书两人，谓语动词用复数。
17. B。“(百)分数+of+名词”作主语时，谓语动词单复数一般由of后的名词决定，cattle 为集合名词，表示复数，因此谓语动词用复数形式。根据语境可知，应用被动语态，表示“被出口”。
18. C。the rest在句中指的是其余同学，表示复数概念，因此谓语用复数。
19. B。“large quantities of+名词”结构作主语时，谓语动词形式用复数;再据时间状语every day可知，应用一般现在时。
20. B。主语是复数形式的国家、组织名称等，谓语动词常用单数形式;根据句意可知应用被动语态，表示“被成立”。
21. B。当and连接的并列主语由 each/every/no等修饰时，谓语动词通常用单数，该句是主动语态。
22. A。construction意为“施工，建设”，为不可数名词。of引导的介宾结构起修饰作用，因此谓语动词应用单数形式。complete为及物动词，意为“使(某事物)结束; 完成”，因此应用被动语态。
23. C。few, a few等作主语，谓语动词用复数形式。另外根据句意可知，应用一般现在时描述客观情况。
24. A。as引导的介宾短语作修饰语，真正的主语是Such athletes， 谓语动词用复数;定语从句中some代指some achievements，谓语动词用复数。
25. B。此句主语是when and where引导的主语从句，表示一个概念，谓语动词应用单数形式。
