在英語的句子中，謂語動詞的形式應與主語的人稱和數(shù)保持一致。如何判定，則要看句子的意思。多數(shù)情況下，根據(jù)句子的主語形式就能判定，但有的則要看整句的意思，及強調(diào)的內(nèi)容。下面我們就常用的、易混的幾種情況作一下解釋。

　　1、以單數(shù)名詞或代詞、不定式、動名詞短語或從句作主語時，謂語動詞要用單數(shù)形式。如： 1)The book is on the table.

　　2) He is reading English.

　　3) To work hard is necessary.(It is necessary to work hard.) 4)How you get there is a problem.

　　2、復數(shù)主語跟復數(shù)動詞。如： Children like to play toys.

　　3、在倒裝句中，動詞的數(shù)應和它后面的主語的數(shù)一致。如以 here,there 開頭，be 動詞與后面第一個名詞一致。如：

　　1) There is a dog near the door.

　　2) There were no schools in this area before liberation. 3)Here comes the bus.

　　4)On the wall were two famous paintings. 5)Here is Mr Brown and his children.

　　4、and 連接兩個或兩個以上的并列主語時，謂語動詞用復數(shù)。如果主語后跟有 with, together with, except, but, perhaps , like, including, as well as, no less than, more than, rather than 等引起的短語，謂語動詞仍與短語前的主語的形式保持一致。如：

　　1) Jane, Mary and I are good friends.

　　2) He and my father work in the same factory. 3)His sister, no less than you, is wrong.

　　4)The father, rather than the brothers, is responsible for the accident. 5)He, like you and Xiao Liu is very diligent.

　　6) Every picture except these two has been sold.

　　7) Alice with her parents often goes to the park on Sundays. 8)Alice as well as her friends was invited to the concert.

　　9)Nobody but Mary and I was in the classroom at that time.

　　5、并列主語如果指的是同一個人、同一事物或同一概念時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)，and 后面的名詞沒有冠詞。如：

　　1) The writer and worker is coming to our school tomorrow.

　　這位工人作家明天要來我們學校。

　　2) Bread and butter is their daily food.

　　面包和黃油是他們每日的食品。

　　3) The writer and the worker are coming to our school tomorrow.

　　那位作家和那位工人明天將來我們學校。(兩個人)

　　6、and 連接的并列單數(shù)名詞前如有 each, every, no, many a 修飾時，謂語動詞要用單數(shù)形式。如：

　　1) Every boy and girl has been invited to the party.

　　所有的孩子都被邀請參加這次聚會。

　　2) No teacher and no student is absent today.

　　今天沒有老師和學生缺席。

　　3) Many a student is busy with their lessons.

　　許許多多的學生都忙著復習他們的功課。

　　7、each, either, one, another, the other, neither 作主語時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式。如： 1)Each takes a cup of tea.

　　2) Either is correct.

　　3) Neither of them likes this picture.

　　8、由every, some, any, no 構(gòu)成的合成代詞作主語時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式。如：

　　1) Is everyone here?

　　2) Nothing is to be done. 沒有什么要干的事兒了。

　　9、關(guān)系代詞 who, that, which 等在定語從句中作主語時，其謂語動詞的數(shù)應與句中先行詞的數(shù)一致。如：

　　1)Those who want to go please sign their names here. 2)Anyone who is against this opinion may speak out. 3)He is one of the students who were praised at the meeting.

　　10、表示時間、距離、價格、度量衡等的復數(shù)名詞或短語作為一個整體看待時，其謂語動詞常用單數(shù)形式。如：

　　1)Three years is not a long time. 2)Ten dollars is what he needs.

　　3)Five hundred miles is a long distance.

　　11、復數(shù)形式的專有名詞作為整體看待(如人名、地點、國家、組織、書籍、報刊等)，動詞用單數(shù)形式。如：

　　1) The United States is in North America.

　　2) The United Nations has passed a resolution(決議)。3)“The Arabian Nights”(《天方夜譚》)is an interesting book.

　　12、有些集體名詞如 family, team, group, class, audience(聽眾，觀眾)，government 等作主語時，如看作是一個整體，謂語動詞則用單數(shù)形式;如強調(diào)各個成員時，謂語動詞要用復數(shù)形式。如：

　　1) My family is going to have a long journey.

　　我家要進行一次長途旅行。

　　2) My family are fond of music.

　　我家人都喜歡音樂。

　　3) The class has won the honour.

　　這班獲得了榮譽。

　　4) The class were jumping for joy.

　　全班同學都高興得跳了起來。

　　13、all, more, most, some, any, none, half, the rest 等作主語時，既可表示復數(shù)意義，也可表示單數(shù)意義，謂語動詞要根據(jù)實際情況而定。如：

　　1) All of the apple is rotten. 整個蘋果都爛了。

　　2) All of the apples are rotten. 所有的蘋果都爛了。

　　3) Most of the wood was used to make furniture (家具)。

　　14、the + 形容詞(或分詞)作主語時，常指一類人，謂語動詞用復數(shù)形式。如指的是抽象概念，謂語動詞則用單數(shù)形式。如：

　　1) The young are usually very active. 年輕人通常是很活躍的。

　　2) The wounded are being taken good care of here now.

　　現(xiàn)在傷病員們在這里受到了很好照顧。

　　15、or, either…or…, neither…nor…, whether…or, not only…but (also)連接的是主語，謂語動詞與后一個主語一致。如：

　　1) Either you or I am going to the movies. 2)Not only you but also he is wrong.

　　16、不可數(shù)名詞沒有復數(shù)形式，作主語時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式。如： 1)Water is a kind of matter.

　　2) The news at six o’clock is true.

　　17、集合名詞如：people, police ,cattle 等作主語，謂語動詞用復數(shù)形式。如：

　　1) The police are searching for him.

　　2) The cattle are grassing (吃草)。

　　18、population 當人口講時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式;當人們講時，謂語動詞用復數(shù)。如：

　　1)The population of China is larger than that of Japan. 2)One third of the population here are workers.

　　19、the number of + 名詞復數(shù)，是表示“…的數(shù)字”，作主語時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式;a (large / great) number of + 名詞復數(shù)，表示許多，作主語時;謂語動詞用復數(shù)形式。

　　1)The number of the students in our school is increasing year after year. 2)A number of students have gone for an outing.

　　20、means, politics, physics, plastics 等作主語時，謂語動詞用單數(shù)形式。