章振邦《新編英語語法》Lecture-2

Lecture2Subject-verbConcord(I)2.1GuidingPrinciplesGrammaticalconcordNotionalconcordPrincipleofProximityNO.1

Grammaticalconcord

Theverbmustmatchitssubjectinnumber.Ifthesubjectisplural,theverbshouldtakethepluralform;if,ontheotherhand,thesubjectissingularorisamassnoun,theverbshouldtakethesingularform.

Bothboys

have

theirownmerits. Fewstudentsare

reallylazy. Manypeoplewant

togo. Twogirlswerestandingonthecorner.NO.1Grammaticalconcord

Eachboyhas

hisownbook.Everygirlcomesontime.Eitheransweris

correct.Mucheffort

is

wasted.NO.2NotionalConcordTheverbcansometimesagreewiththesubjectaccordingtothenotionofnumberratherthantotheactualpresenceofthegrammaticalmarkerforthatnotion.Thegovernmenthaveaskedthecountrytodecidebyavote.Fifteenmilesseemslikealongwalktome.Fifty-sixdollarswasstolenfromthecashregister.NO.3PrincipleofProximityItdenotesagreementoftheverbwithacloselyprecedingnounphraseinpreferencetoagreementwiththeheadofthenounphrasethatfunctionsassubject.Eithermybrothersormyfatheriscoming.Onlyoneoutoffivewerepresent.Nooneexcepthisownsupportersagreewithhim.NeitherJulianorIamgoing.2.1GuidingPrinciplesNotethatgrammaticalconcordisthebasicprinciple,butwhenthesubjectisrealizedbyacollectivenoun,acoordinateformoranexpressionofquantity,theothertwoprincipleswillhavetobeconsidered.2.2Problemsofconcordwithnounsendingin-s

Therearequiteafewnounsthatendin–sbutwhicharenotcountable.Someofthesenounsaretreatedassingular,someasplural,andsomeeitherassingularorasplural.★Diseaseandgamenamesendingin–s★Subjectnamesendingin–ics★Geographicalnamesendingin–s★Othernounsendingin-s

Namesforthingsmadeoftwopartssuchasscissors,pincers,glasses,shorts,trousers,pants,slacks,suspenders,etcareusuallyusedasplural.Butwhentheyareprecededbysuchunitnounsasapairofandtwopairsof,thenumberformofthefollowingverbisgenerallydeterminedbythenumbermarkeroftheunitnoun.e.g.Joe’snewtrousersareblackandwhite.Onepairofscissorsisn’tenough.★Othernounsendingin-s

Nounsusuallytakingpluralendingssuchasarchives,armsandclothesaregenerallyusedaspluralwiththeexceptionofwhereabouts,dramatics,etcwhichmaybetreatedeitheraspluralorassingular.e.g.Thearchivesofthissocietyarekeptinthebasement.Thecontentsofthisbookare

mostfascinating.Hiswhereaboutswere/wasknownonlytohispersonalstaff.Thedramaticsoftheperformancewere/wasmarvelous.★Othernounsendingin-s

Nounsendingin–ingssuchasclippings,diggings,etcaregenerallyusedaspluralwiththeexceptionoftidingswhichcanbeusedbothways.e.g.Theclippingsofthehedgesareusuallyburnt.Thesweepingsofthegodownhavebeendisposedof.Goodtidingshavecheeredthemup.Thetidingshascomealittletoolate.★Othernounsendingin-s

Therearealsonounssuchasbarracksandheadquarterswhosesingularandpluralnumbersharethesameform.Thesenounsaretreatedaspluralwhenusedinthepluralsense,orviceversa.e.g.Abarrackwas

stormedbytheenemy.Twobarracksinthesuburbshavebeensurrounded.What’stheodds?Theoddsareagainstus.

Keytoexercises

Ex.2A1.come2.are3.has/have4.are5.are6.are7.was/were8.is9.costs10.were11.are12.are13.was14.are15.lie16.were17.are18.is19.is20.was21.Has22.were23.is24.is25.are26.is27.are28.cover,are29.is/are30.was/were

2.3Problemsofconcordwithcollectivenounsassubject

Collectivenounsaresingularinformbutpluralinmeaning.Thechoicebetweengrammaticalandnotionalconcordismostlydictatedbyusage.①Collectivenounsusuallyusedaplural:

people,police,cattle,militia,poultry,vermin,etce.g.Suchverminasbugsandratsarehardtogetridof.

Keytoexercises

②Collectivenounsusuallyusedasingular:foliage,machinery,equipment,furniture,merchandise,etce.g.Themerchandisehasarrivedundamaged.AllthemachineryinthefactoryismadeinChina2.3Problemsofconcordwithcollectivenounsassubject③Collectivenounsusedeitheraspluralorassingular:

Thechoiceoftheverbformfollowingsuchnounsdependsontheexactmeaningofthenouninaspecificcontext.Whenthenounisusedinthesenseofacollectiveasawhole,theverbtakesthesingularform.Ontheotherhand,thenounisusedinthesenseoftheindividualsthatmakethecollective,theverbtakesthepluralform.

audience,committee,class,crew,family,government,public,etc2.3audience,committee,class,crew,family,government,public,etce.g.Thatgroup(orplatoonorsquad)ofsoldiersisatop-notchfightingunit.Thatgroup(orplatoonorsquad)ofsoldiershavethebestratingsofindividualperformance.Thatherdofcowsandcalvesisthehealthiestthefarmhashadinsometime.Thatherdofcowsandcalvesaremovingtowardtheshedsbytwosandthrees.2.3Problemsofconcordwithcollectivenounsassubject④Acommitteeof,etc.+pluralnoun

Whenapluralnounisprece