??主語和謂語動詞之間數的一致是英語中非常重要的關系。決定主謂一致的有若乾原則，如語法一致（grammatical agreement）、意義一致（notional agreement）、就近一致（principle of proximity）等。主謂的語法一致就是從語法上取得一致，即主語為單數形式，謂語動詞也采取單數形式；主語為復數形式，謂語動詞也是復數形式。下面著重談談主謂的語法一致原則在大學英語考試中容易出錯的的幾種情況：

??1．如果主語是一個抽象概念，謂語動詞要用單數形式。如：
??Growing vegetables needs constant watering．

??2．單一的動名詞或動名詞短語、不定式作主語時，謂語用單數。如：
??Writing stories and articles is what I enjoy most．

??3．介詞短語和副詞作主語時，謂語動詞用單數。如：
??In the desk is where he left it．
??Slowly is exactly how he speaks．

??4．主語從句作主語（what引導的主語從句除外）時，謂語動詞用單數形式。如：
??Whether or not we'll go to Beijing has not been decided yet．

??5．所有由兩部分組成的物體的名詞作主語，當不用量詞時，謂語用復數。如：
??The trousers fit me very well．

??6．如果主語後面跟有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等引起的短語時，謂語動詞不受影響。如果主語原來是單數，謂語動詞也為單數形式；如果主語原來是復數，謂語動詞也為復數形式。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＋單數名詞，some ＋單數名詞，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等作主語時，在正式英語中要求動詞采用單數形式。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．不可數名詞前面如果有表示數量的復數名詞，後面常跟復數動詞作謂語。如：
??Four kilometers of water were polluted in yesterday's oil leaking．

??9．many a，more than one，no one except＋名詞作主語時，盡管意義是復數概念，但謂語動詞 用單數形式。如：
??Many a person has had that kind of experience．
??More than one person was involved in the case．

??10．在定語從句中，關系代詞who，that或which後的動詞與所指的先行詞在數上一致。在"one? of ＋復數名詞＋who ／that／which引導的定語從句"結構中，由於who ／that／which最靠近復數名詞而不是one，故定語從句中謂語動詞取復數形式。而只有前面出現the only，exactly修飾時，分句中謂語動詞纔采用單數形式。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"等修飾的復數名詞作主語時，謂語動詞要用復數形式；而"the number of ．．．"（……的數量）作主語時，謂語動詞要用單數形式。如：
??A number of students have finished their homework before August．
??The number of students in our college is increasing．

??12．強調結構中，動詞要與It一致，都用It is（was）．．．。如：
??It is my teachers who are very kind to me．
??強調句型中，當關系代詞who，that作主語時，動詞的單復數取決於所修飾的先行詞。如：
??It is I who haven't finished reading the book．
??It was my friend who was late for the class．

??13．算術中的加法與乘法，謂語動詞通常單復數都可以。如：
??Three fives are（is）fifteen．
??減法與除法中用單數動詞。如：
??Three from eight leaves five．
??Fifteen divided by three equals five．