五、主謂語前后不一致
主謂語前后不一致錯誤是CET6綜合改錯題內(nèi)容之一，主要表現(xiàn)為主語名詞與謂語動詞間隔較長，首尾不能相接，造成視覺上的混淆或者謂語動詞和主語在人稱以及數(shù)上不能保持一致性。
主謂語前后不一致錯誤的主要類型有三種：一是句子的主語往往被一個或者幾個復(fù)雜的修飾成分隔得很遠；二是定語從句中的謂語動詞和前面的先行詞未在數(shù)上保持一致；三是按照語法規(guī)定，有些代詞或表達時所跟的謂語動詞必須使用單數(shù)或者復(fù)數(shù)形式，而這些錯誤恰恰就是違反了這些規(guī)則，譬如，either和neither作主語時，謂語必須用單數(shù)，many a + 可數(shù)名詞時，其謂語也應(yīng)該用單數(shù)形式，另外還有些情況如有時某些名詞可以不用復(fù)數(shù)，但是在特定的句子中由于前面有明確的量詞修飾，例如many，several，a number of，a variety of等等，就要變成復(fù)數(shù)形式.
例 1
The president of the company, together with the
workers, are planning a conference for the purpose 1.__________
of solving financial problems.
在此句中，主語的主詞實際上為單數(shù)名詞“ president ”，介詞短語“ together with the workers ”與主語無關(guān)，是插入成分，故謂語動詞應(yīng)用單詞 is ，從而與前文保持一致。
例 2
There are many stories about this temple, but
behind it lies two myths. 1.__________
該句后半部分實際上是一個倒裝句，正常順序為“ two myths lie behind it ”，謂語動詞的形式應(yīng)該與 myths 看齊，而非與介賓短語 it 一致，故應(yīng)該把 lies 改為 lie 。
例 3
…perhaps; one in every seven deaths in Europe’s
crowded cities were caused by the disease. 1.__________
該句的主語實際上為 one ，而非 crowed cities ，也不是 every seven deaths ，后面均為其修飾成分，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該改為 was 。此句的難點在于介詞短語又多又長，容易干擾答題者的語法觀念。
例 4
The class is listening to the teacher, taking notes. 1.__________
該句中主語為“ the class ”， class 本身為單數(shù)，但是此時表示“構(gòu)成班集體的全體學生成員”，實際上為復(fù)數(shù)，所以謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式與之對應(yīng)，故應(yīng)該將 is 改為 are ，類似的單詞還有 audience ， family ， crew ， government ， pubic ， team 等。
練習題
1 Understanding the cultural habits of another nation,
especially one containing so many diversified subcultures
as the UnitedState, are a complex, bewildering task. 1.__________
2 The ideals and practices of child rearing vary from
culture to culture. In general, the more rural the
community, the more uniform is the customs of child 2.__________
upbringing.
3 Early upbringing in the home is naturally affected
both by the cultural pattern of the community and by
the parent’s capabilities and their aims and depend not 3.__________
only on upbringing and education but also on the
innate abilities of the child.
4 Among the animals that wandered through the
world of long ago are some which has now entirely 4.__________
died out; but sometimes the bones of an ancient
animal that are dug out in the earth excite the
enquiring scientists.
5 “ Generation gap ” used to be a fashionable topic
among people. This so-called gap was actually
nothing but a difference in the attitudes of the old
and young. Old people complained that the young
was so ignorant of the past and had gone too far 5.__________
from the traditions, while young people protested
that they never had to follow the path their parents
once took.
6 The latter was no less justified in their 6.__________
protests than the former in their complaints.
7 The math exam we have just had is far more
difficult than the one we had last month. Only the
first few questions are easy, the rest is very difficult. 7.__________
8 The small college, therefore, generally provides
a limited number of courses and specializations but
offer a better student-faculty ratio, thus permitting 8.__________
individualized attention to students.
9 Fifty yuan a week for rent are not too expensive, 9.__________
however, I still can not afford it.
10 Three-fourths of the earth surface are covered by 10.__________
water.
答案解析：
1.本題中應(yīng)該將are改為is。該句雖然較長，看似復(fù)雜，其實主語為動名詞語“Understanding the cultural habits of another nation”，后面為其修飾成分，所以謂語必須使用單數(shù)形式。這是典型的主謂不一致錯誤，其實根據(jù)后面“a complex, bewildering task”也可判斷出謂語動詞為單數(shù)。
2.本題中應(yīng)該將is改為are。該句中主語成分為“the customs of child upbringing”，為倒裝句，表語前置，正常語序為“the more uniform the customs of child of upbringing are”，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
3.本題中應(yīng)該將depend改為depends。該句中主語成分為前文中的“Early upbringing”，“depends”和前面的“is”為并列結(jié)構(gòu)，故應(yīng)該使用單數(shù)形式。
4.本題中應(yīng)該將has改為have。該句中定語從句引導詞which指代some，即some animals，故該處從句中謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
5.本題中應(yīng)該將was改為were。形容詞前面加上定冠詞the指某一類事物或者人，一般被看成復(fù)數(shù)概念。句中“the young”指“年輕人”這個群體，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。類似詞組如：the disable(殘疾人)，the educated(受過教育的人)，the homeless（無家可歸的人）等。
6.本題中應(yīng)該將was改為were。此句中根據(jù)后面物主代詞their可知“the latter”指代前文中的復(fù)數(shù)名詞，故此處謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
7.本題中應(yīng)該將is改為are。根據(jù)前文中“the first few question”可知，“the rest”實際上是“the rest questions”的省略，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
8.本題中應(yīng)該將offer改為offers。該句中，主語成分為“the small college”，offer和provide為并列短語，由連詞but連接在一起，故應(yīng)該使用單數(shù)形式。
9.本題中應(yīng)該將are改為is。該句中“Fifty yuan”作為整體使用時，作為單數(shù)，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該為單數(shù)形式。
10.本題中應(yīng)該將are改為is。該句中“three-fourths”后面所接名詞為不可數(shù)名詞，所以該謂語動詞應(yīng)該為單數(shù)形式。
主謂語前后不一致錯誤是CET6綜合改錯題內(nèi)容之一，主要表現(xiàn)為主語名詞與謂語動詞間隔較長，首尾不能相接，造成視覺上的混淆或者謂語動詞和主語在人稱以及數(shù)上不能保持一致性。
主謂語前后不一致錯誤的主要類型有三種：一是句子的主語往往被一個或者幾個復(fù)雜的修飾成分隔得很遠；二是定語從句中的謂語動詞和前面的先行詞未在數(shù)上保持一致；三是按照語法規(guī)定，有些代詞或表達時所跟的謂語動詞必須使用單數(shù)或者復(fù)數(shù)形式，而這些錯誤恰恰就是違反了這些規(guī)則，譬如，either和neither作主語時，謂語必須用單數(shù)，many a + 可數(shù)名詞時，其謂語也應(yīng)該用單數(shù)形式，另外還有些情況如有時某些名詞可以不用復(fù)數(shù)，但是在特定的句子中由于前面有明確的量詞修飾，例如many，several，a number of，a variety of等等，就要變成復(fù)數(shù)形式.
例 1
The president of the company, together with the
workers, are planning a conference for the purpose 1.__________
of solving financial problems.
在此句中，主語的主詞實際上為單數(shù)名詞“ president ”，介詞短語“ together with the workers ”與主語無關(guān)，是插入成分，故謂語動詞應(yīng)用單詞 is ，從而與前文保持一致。
例 2
There are many stories about this temple, but
behind it lies two myths. 1.__________
該句后半部分實際上是一個倒裝句，正常順序為“ two myths lie behind it ”，謂語動詞的形式應(yīng)該與 myths 看齊，而非與介賓短語 it 一致，故應(yīng)該把 lies 改為 lie 。
例 3
…perhaps; one in every seven deaths in Europe’s
crowded cities were caused by the disease. 1.__________
該句的主語實際上為 one ，而非 crowed cities ，也不是 every seven deaths ，后面均為其修飾成分，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該改為 was 。此句的難點在于介詞短語又多又長，容易干擾答題者的語法觀念。
例 4
The class is listening to the teacher, taking notes. 1.__________
該句中主語為“ the class ”， class 本身為單數(shù)，但是此時表示“構(gòu)成班集體的全體學生成員”，實際上為復(fù)數(shù)，所以謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式與之對應(yīng)，故應(yīng)該將 is 改為 are ，類似的單詞還有 audience ， family ， crew ， government ， pubic ， team 等。
練習題
1 Understanding the cultural habits of another nation,
especially one containing so many diversified subcultures
as the UnitedState, are a complex, bewildering task. 1.__________
2 The ideals and practices of child rearing vary from
culture to culture. In general, the more rural the
community, the more uniform is the customs of child 2.__________
upbringing.
3 Early upbringing in the home is naturally affected
both by the cultural pattern of the community and by
the parent’s capabilities and their aims and depend not 3.__________
only on upbringing and education but also on the
innate abilities of the child.
4 Among the animals that wandered through the
world of long ago are some which has now entirely 4.__________
died out; but sometimes the bones of an ancient
animal that are dug out in the earth excite the
enquiring scientists.
5 “ Generation gap ” used to be a fashionable topic
among people. This so-called gap was actually
nothing but a difference in the attitudes of the old
and young. Old people complained that the young
was so ignorant of the past and had gone too far 5.__________
from the traditions, while young people protested
that they never had to follow the path their parents
once took.
6 The latter was no less justified in their 6.__________
protests than the former in their complaints.
7 The math exam we have just had is far more
difficult than the one we had last month. Only the
first few questions are easy, the rest is very difficult. 7.__________
8 The small college, therefore, generally provides
a limited number of courses and specializations but
offer a better student-faculty ratio, thus permitting 8.__________
individualized attention to students.
9 Fifty yuan a week for rent are not too expensive, 9.__________
however, I still can not afford it.
10 Three-fourths of the earth surface are covered by 10.__________
water.
答案解析：
1.本題中應(yīng)該將are改為is。該句雖然較長，看似復(fù)雜，其實主語為動名詞語“Understanding the cultural habits of another nation”，后面為其修飾成分，所以謂語必須使用單數(shù)形式。這是典型的主謂不一致錯誤，其實根據(jù)后面“a complex, bewildering task”也可判斷出謂語動詞為單數(shù)。
2.本題中應(yīng)該將is改為are。該句中主語成分為“the customs of child upbringing”，為倒裝句，表語前置，正常語序為“the more uniform the customs of child of upbringing are”，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
3.本題中應(yīng)該將depend改為depends。該句中主語成分為前文中的“Early upbringing”，“depends”和前面的“is”為并列結(jié)構(gòu)，故應(yīng)該使用單數(shù)形式。
4.本題中應(yīng)該將has改為have。該句中定語從句引導詞which指代some，即some animals，故該處從句中謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
5.本題中應(yīng)該將was改為were。形容詞前面加上定冠詞the指某一類事物或者人，一般被看成復(fù)數(shù)概念。句中“the young”指“年輕人”這個群體，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。類似詞組如：the disable(殘疾人)，the educated(受過教育的人)，the homeless（無家可歸的人）等。
6.本題中應(yīng)該將was改為were。此句中根據(jù)后面物主代詞their可知“the latter”指代前文中的復(fù)數(shù)名詞，故此處謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
7.本題中應(yīng)該將is改為are。根據(jù)前文中“the first few question”可知，“the rest”實際上是“the rest questions”的省略，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該使用復(fù)數(shù)形式。
8.本題中應(yīng)該將offer改為offers。該句中，主語成分為“the small college”，offer和provide為并列短語，由連詞but連接在一起，故應(yīng)該使用單數(shù)形式。
9.本題中應(yīng)該將are改為is。該句中“Fifty yuan”作為整體使用時，作為單數(shù)，故謂語動詞應(yīng)該為單數(shù)形式。
10.本題中應(yīng)該將are改為is。該句中“three-fourths”后面所接名詞為不可數(shù)名詞，所以該謂語動詞應(yīng)該為單數(shù)形式。