一．就近原則出現幾個主語時，謂語動詞的人稱單複數須和最近的主語保持一致。
二．意義一致原則主語形式是單數，但意義為複數，謂語動詞根據意義要用複數；反之主語形式為複數，但意義為單數，謂語動詞也用單數。如表示一筆錢，一段時間，一定重量時，這些單位雖是複數形式，但謂語動詞是單數形式。
三．語法一致一個句子的主語是單數時，謂語動詞也應是單數形式，主語是複數，謂語動詞也用複數形式。
細則如下：
1.由並列結構或連詞（either…or， neither…nor，not…but， not only…butalso， or等）連接的並列主語，謂語動詞與較近的那個名詞或代詞保持一致。
Neitherhis parents nor Tom_____(be) at home.
2. 在倒裝句和there be句型中，謂語動詞與後面的第一個主語保持一致。
There_____(be) a book and some pens on the desk.
There______(come) the bus.
3. 在定語從句中，關係代詞作主語，其謂語動詞應與它所指代的先行詞保持一致。
Iknow the man who_____(be) talking to my father.
4. 在強調句中，連接代詞又在句中作主語，這時它應與被強調的主語保持一致。
Itis Mary’s brother who_____(be) injured in the car accident yesterday.
5. 從句、不定式、動名詞等作主語時謂語動詞用單數。
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.
註：如果主語是兩個(或兩個以上)的名詞性從句，謂語動詞常用複數。
Whathe said and what he did _____(be) always different last night .
由「what」引導的名詞性從句作主語時，謂語動詞通常用單數形式。
WhatI want to say _____(be) just 「 Take care!」.
6.「…+(of) +名詞」作主語時，若「of」後的名詞為單數（不可數名詞），則謂語動詞用單數，如果名詞為複數，則謂語動詞用複數，
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. 詞組「a number of」作主語時，謂語動詞應用複數；「the number of」作主語時，謂語動詞用單數。
A number of ancient buildings _____ (be) destroyed in the war.
The number of the visitors _____ (have) decreased this year.
5.英語的集體名詞（family,public, group, team, class等詞），指代「整體」時為單數；指代「其中的各成員」則為複數。
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+…作主語時，謂語動詞用單數形式。
Every man and every woman _____(be) busy at working.
9. 英語句中的each， either， neither等詞，作代詞充當主語，修飾名詞作主語時，謂語動詞用單數。
Neitherof us _____(have) been abroad. Neither answer _____(be) wrong .
10.由some,any every, no構成的復合詞（somebody，nobody，everything，anything等）作主語時，謂語動詞用單數。
Somebody______(be)waiting for you at the school gate.
11.成雙成對出現的複數名詞（glasses，shoes，trousers，pants，gloves等）作主語時，通常謂語動詞用複數，但前面有a/the pair of；a/the suit of等詞語時，則謂語動詞要與量詞（pair,suit, piece ）在單複數上保持一致。
Apair of scissors_______(be) useful tool for a dressmaker.
Twopieces of paper ______(be ) on the desk .
12. 以複數形式出現，卻表示單數意義（maths, physics, news …）謂語用單數。
Maths_____(be)my favorite subject.
13.「the +形容詞（old /young /rich /poor ）」表示「一類人」，作主語時，謂語用複數。
The young ______(like) listening to popularsongs .
14.「the +姓氏的複數」 表示「某某夫婦，某某一家人」，作主語時，謂語用複數。
The Greens _______(be)having lunch now.
15.當主語與謂語動詞之間插入alongwith，with，as well as，together with，besides，except， but， including等短語時，謂語動詞與第一個主語保持一致。
Ialong with my sister_____(be) going to Shanghai next month.
16. 表示時間、距離、金額、度量等詞語作主語時，通常被視作整體，謂語動詞用單數。
10minutes is enough.
17.加減乘除等數學運算謂語動詞通常用單數。
2 and 3 ______5.
18.「the +姓氏名詞的複數」表示「一家人、….夫婦」，作主語時，謂語動詞用複數形式。
The Blacks ______(enjoy) working in.
19.由and連接的兩個單數名詞作主語時，一般用複數形式，但and所連接的並列主語是同
一個人，事物，或概念時，謂語動詞用單數。這兩種情況區分如下：a/the+單數名詞+and+單
數名詞，指的是同一個人或物；a/the+單數名詞+and+a/the+單數名詞，指兩個人或物。
The writer and teacher coming. 那位作家兼教師來了。(作家和教師指同一個人)
The writer and the teacher coming. 作家和老師來了。(作家和老師是兩個人)
鞏固與練習（書山有路勤為徑，學海無涯苦作舟）：
( )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