一．就近原则出现几个主语时，谓语动词的人称单复数须和最近的主语保持一致。
二．意义一致原则主语形式是单数，但意义为复数，谓语动词根据意义要用复数；反之主语形式为复数，但意义为单数，谓语动词也用单数。如表示一笔钱，一段时间，一定重量时，这些单位虽是复数形式，但谓语动词是单数形式。
三．语法一致一个句子的主语是单数时，谓语动词也应是单数形式，主语是复数，谓语动词也用复数形式。
细则如下：
1.由并列结构或连词（either…or， neither…nor，not…but， not only…butalso， or等）连接的并列主语，谓语动词与较近的那个名词或代词保持一致。
Neitherhis parents nor Tom_____(be) at home.
2. 在倒装句和there be句型中，谓语动词与后面的第一个主语保持一致。
There_____(be) a book and some pens on the desk.
There______(come) the bus.
3. 在定语从句中，关系代词作主语，其谓语动词应与它所指代的先行词保持一致。
Iknow the man who_____(be) talking to my father.
4. 在强调句中，连接代词又在句中作主语，这时它应与被强调的主语保持一致。
Itis Mary’s brother who_____(be) injured in the car accident yesterday.
5. 从句、不定式、动名词等作主语时谓语动词用单数。
Whento leave _____(be) not been decided.
WatchingTV too much _____(be) bad for your eyes.
Whento leave _____(be) not been decided.
WatchingTV too much _____(be) bad for your eyes.
注：如果主语是两个(或两个以上)的名词性从句，谓语动词常用复数。
Whathe said and what he did _____(be) always different last night .
由“what”引导的名词性从句作主语时，谓语动词通常用单数形式。
WhatI want to say _____(be) just “ Take care!”.
6.“…+(of) +名词”作主语时，若“of”后的名词为单数（不可数名词），则谓语动词用单数，如果名词为复数，则谓语动词用复数，
如： half of, someof, any of, a lot of, lots of, plenty of, a quarter of, a third of, 30% of。
Mostof the water here ______(be) clean.
80%cotton ______have) been sent to America.80%
Halfof the apples ______(be) red.
7. 词组“a number of”作主语时，谓语动词应用复数；“the number of”作主语时，谓语动词用单数。
A number of ancient buildings _____ (be) destroyed in the war.
The number of the visitors _____ (have) decreased this year.
5.英语的集体名词（family,public, group, team, class等词），指代“整体”时为单数；指代“其中的各成员”则为复数。
My family ____(be) very poor when I was a little girl
My family ______(be) all looking forward for your coming.
8. every +….and every +…..或each+…and each+…作主语时，谓语动词用单数形式。
Every man and every woman _____(be) busy at working.
9. 英语句中的each， either， neither等词，作代词充当主语，修饰名词作主语时，谓语动词用单数。
Neitherof us _____(have) been abroad. Neither answer _____(be) wrong .
10.由some,any every, no构成的复合词（somebody，nobody，everything，anything等）作主语时，谓语动词用单数。
Somebody______(be)waiting for you at the school gate.
11.成双成对出现的复数名词（glasses，shoes，trousers，pants，gloves等）作主语时，通常谓语动词用复数，但前面有a/the pair of；a/the suit of等词语时，则谓语动词要与量词（pair,suit, piece ）在单复数上保持一致。
Apair of scissors_______(be) useful tool for a dressmaker.
Twopieces of paper ______(be ) on the desk .
12. 以复数形式出现，却表示单数意义（maths, physics, news …）谓语用单数。
Maths_____(be)my favorite subject.
13.“the +形容词（old /young /rich /poor ）”表示“一类人”，作主语时，谓语用复数。
The young ______(like) listening to popularsongs .
14.“the +姓氏的复数” 表示“某某夫妇，某某一家人”，作主语时，谓语用复数。
The Greens _______(be)having lunch now.
15.当主语与谓语动词之间插入alongwith，with，as well as，together with，besides，except， but， including等短语时，谓语动词与第一个主语保持一致。
Ialong with my sister_____(be) going to Shanghai next month.
16. 表示时间、距离、金额、度量等词语作主语时，通常被视作整体，谓语动词用单数。
10minutes is enough.
17.加减乘除等数学运算谓语动词通常用单数。
2 and 3 ______5.
18.“the +姓氏名词的复数”表示“一家人、….夫妇”，作主语时，谓语动词用复数形式。
The Blacks ______(enjoy) working in.
19.由and连接的两个单数名词作主语时，一般用复数形式，但and所连接的并列主语是同
一个人，事物，或概念时，谓语动词用单数。这两种情况区分如下：a/the+单数名词+and+单
数名词，指的是同一个人或物；a/the+单数名词+and+a/the+单数名词，指两个人或物。
The writer and teacher coming. 那位作家兼教师来了。(作家和教师指同一个人)
The writer and the teacher coming. 作家和老师来了。(作家和老师是两个人)
巩固与练习（书山有路勤为径，学海无涯苦作舟）：
( )1.There______ be a fashion show in our towntomorrow.
A．are going to B.will have C. has D. is going to
( )2.Doing exercise ____ good for your health.
A.be B. am C. is D. are
( )3 .Neither he nor I__________ from. We arefrom.
A.is B.are C. am D. be
( )3. Anumber of tourists ________ Yangzhoumany times because it is such a beautiful city.
A.have been to B. has been to C. has goneto D. have gone to
( )4.Now thenumber of Chinese people _____ working Africamore than one million.
A.is B.are C. was D. were
( )5. Not only my friends but also I _______interested in football and Messi is our favorite star.
A.be B. am C. is D. are
( )6. Everyone except Tom and John ____there whenthe meeting began.
A.are B. is C. were D. was
( )7.Neither Kate nor her cousins ______ to, but ______ of them haveknown the country very well.
A.have been; all B. have gone; both C. has been;all
( )8 There _____a dictionary and two pens on thedesk.
A.am B. is C. are
( )9.—Maths ____my favourite subject, what about you?
—Physics_____. I think it's very interesting．
A.is：is B. are;are C. are；is
( )10. In our school library there _____ a number of books on science, and in these years thenumber of them _____ growing larger and larger.
A.are; is B. is;are C. have; are D. has; is
( )11 Neither my sister nor I _____ been tobefore.
A.have ever B. have never C. has ever D. has never.
( )12. Neither of the books____ interesting. Iwon’t buy of them_____..
A.is; either B. are; neither C. is; any
( )13. There___still some apple juice in the fridge. It’s not necessary for us to go to thesupermarket now.
A.was B.were C. is D. are
( )14 .How time flies! We'll graduate. Three yearsreally____ short time.
A.was B.are C. is
( )15.Do you think there _____ robots in People’shomes in the future?
A.will be B.will is C. be will
( )16.There______ some milk, two apples and a bottle of juice in the fridge.
A.is B.are C. have
( )17. Nobody except Tom and Mary _______in theclassroom. The
students are watching the basketball game on theplayground now.
A.am B. is C. are
( )18. —I called you at 5:00yesterday afternoon, but no one answered.
—Sorry,I with my parents _______ at that time.
A.was shopping B. were shopping C. are shopping D. went shopping