小议涉及quantity主谓一致问题.docVIP

小议涉及quantity主谓一致问题2009年的福建卷高考英语有这样一道考题: ―Why does the Lake smell terrible? ―Because large quantities of water__. A. have polluted B. is being polluted C. has been polluted D. have been polluted 此题答案为D,但许多同学无法理解――因为句子主语large quantities of water的意思是“大量的水”,而表示“水”的water是不可数名词,它用作主语时,句子是应该用单数的。如: A lot of water is wasted through leakage. 泄漏浪费了大量的水。 Water is necessary for all living things. 水为一切生物所必需。 Dip your fingers in to see how hot the water is. 把手指伸进水里看有多热。 但是为什么上面这道高考题的谓语动词却用了复数呢?其实,这与quantity这一词有关,下面我们就此问题作一归纳。 1. “a quantity of + 名词”作主语时,谓语动词与其中名词的单复数一致。如: A large quantity of beer was sold. 售出了大量的啤酒。 There is a small quantity of water left in the bottle. 瓶子里还剩下少量的水。 A large quantity of young trees are growing well in our hometown. 我们家乡有大量小树在茁壮成长。 2. “quantities of +名词”作主语时,不管其中名词为可数名词还是不可数名词,其谓语动词一律用复数。如: Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea. 大量的石油溢出到海里。 Quantities of food were spread out on the table. 许多食物被堆放在桌上。 Quantities of wheat were sent abroad. 大量小麦被运往国外。 比较: Large quantities of time were wasted. 大量的时间被浪费掉了。 Large quantities of natural resources were wasted. 大量的自然资源被浪费掉了。 A Large quantity of food was on the table. 大量的食物摆在桌上。 Quantities of food were on the table. 大量的食物摆在桌上。 3. the quantity of意为“……的数量”,用作主语时,谓语动词用单数,与其中名词的单复数无关。如: The quantity of his money is unknown to us all. 我们不知道他有多少钱。 The quantity of his friends is unknown to us all. 我们不知道他有多少朋友。 (编辑 陈根花) 1