一、主谓一致 
一．谓语动词用单数的情况 
To work hard is necessary. 
Reading without comprehension is no good. 
It pays to work hard. 
To understand the situation completely requires more thought than has been given thus far. 
Buying clothes is often a time-consuming job because those clothes that a person likes are rarely the cones that fit him or her. 
  
Two weeks was too long. 
Ten dollars is a small sum. 
Five times five makes twenty five. 
One and a half bananas is left on the table. 
  
law and order ，soap and water， a cup and saucer， fork and knife， the needle and thread， trial and error，horse and carriage，time and tide，bread and butter，the ebb and flow 
Bread and butter is our daily food. 
Time and tide waits for no man. 
The secretary and principal of the school was present at the meeting. 
If law and order ________ not preserved, neither the citizen nor his property is safe. 
A. is B. are C. was d. were 
  
In China, every boy and girl has the right to compulsory education. 
Each man and woman who takes the test is supposed to get the score report in five weeks. 
Many a student and teacher has seen the film. 
  
The chaos was stopped by the police. 
The news is a great encouragement to us A series of debates between the lectures was scheduled for the next weekend. 
  
The United States was formed in 1776. 
The New York Times still has a wide circulation. 
Roots is a novel about a black family. 
  
The government is made up of senior members of the four main right wing parties. 
His family is not very large. 
The staff of our school is opposed to the drastic changes in the system of education. 
The crowd was deeply stirred by his speech. 
  
either, neither, each, one, other, another, anybody, anyone,  anything, somebody, someone, something, everybody, everyone, everything, nobody, no one, nothing 
Each of the boys has an apple. 
Somebody is using the phone. 
Everything around us is matter. 
  
Linguistics is a branch of study on human language. 
  
None of us seems to have thought of it. 
"Is there any letter for me?" "Sorry, there’s none." 
None of the drivers has (have) turned up. 
  
二． 谓语用复数情况 
Few people know he and I were classmates when we were at college. 
  
The Chinese people are brave and hardworking. 
The cattle are grazing in the sunshine 
  
The Japanese were once very aggressive 
  
The rich are not always selfish 
  
Three million tons of coal were exported that year 
  
either...or...; neither...nor...; whether... or...;not only...but (also) ;or 
Neither money nor fame has influence on me. 
Not only you but also he is wrong 
  
Blocking the open-sided porch, framed by the enveloping fog, stands a tall grave-faced policeman. 
Just outside the ruins is a magnificent building surrounded by tall trees. 
  
（together/along）with, such as, accompanied by, as well as, no less than, except, besides, with, combined with, in addition to , including, together with 
Professor Taylor, with six of his students, is attending a conference in Boston organized to compare current practice in the United States with those of other nations. 
The president of the college, together with the deans, is planning a conference for the purpose of laying down certain regulations. 
  
Despite much research, there are still certain elements in the life cycle of the insect that are not fully understood. 
There are many valuable services which the public are willing to pay for, but which do not bring a return in money to the community. 
  
a lot of /lots of; plenty of/heaps of; half of; two-third (three-fourth...) of; eighty(ten, twenty...) percent; part of; rest of; none of 
Two-thirds of people present are women Lots of damage was caused by the fire. 
  
army, audience, band, government ,group ,flock, police, public ,staff ,team ,troop, crowd, firm, family。 
The family is the basic unit of our society. 
The family were shocked by the program in the TV. 
The audience was enormous. 
The audience were greatly moved at the words. 
  
a great many 
a number of 
the majority of 
the number of 
each/every 
neither/either of 
one and a half 
more than one 
many a 
the greater part of, a large proportion of, one third of, plenty of, the rest of 
either... or.... / not only..... but also / ...... not .....but ...... 
More students than one have been referred to. 
More than one student is going to buy this book.