主谓关系的一致性要求主语和谓语在语法上保持相应的人称和数量对应，即谓语动词的形式应当依据句子主语的人称和数量特征来确定。主谓一致主要依据三条基本准则：语法对应原则、语义对应原则以及最近主语对应原则。
语法对应原则
语法对应原则强调主语的数决定谓语动词的数。
要点一：通常情况下，当主语为单数可数名词、不可数名词或代词时，谓语动词应采用单数形式；而当主语为复数可数名词或代词时，谓语动词则需使用复数形式。
要点二：当动词不定式或动名词形式作为主语时，其后的谓语动词应保持单数形式。
【实例分析】
( )1. The twins ______ fond of the new idea presented in the magazine article.
A. be B. am
C. is D. are
( )2. One of my friends ______ moved to America. I miss her so much.
A. has B. have C. are
( )3. Engaging in computer games excessively ______ detrimental to students’ health.
A. am B. is C. are
要点三：
1. 复合不定代词如anybody, anyone, anything, somebody, someone, everything, everybody, nobody, nothing等作为主语时，其谓语动词应采用单数形式。
2. neither of … / none of … 结构作为主语时，谓语动词可依据具体语境选择单数或复数形式。
3. either指代两者中的任何一个，作主语时谓语动词需用单数形式；而either of …结构作主语时，谓语动词则可采用单数或复数形式。
4. each作同位语时，谓语动词的数取决于主语的数；而each of …结构作主语时，谓语动词必须使用单数形式。
要点四：当both … and …结构连接并列主语时，谓语动词通常采用复数形式。若and连接的两个名词代表不同概念，则谓语动词需用复数形式；若表示同一人或物，或同一概念，或不可分割的整体，则谓语动词仍保持单数形式。
要点五：当主语后接with, except, including, along with, together with, as well as, in addition to等介词短语时，谓语动词的数应与主语的数保持一致。
【实例分析】
( ) 1. We each ______ WeChat nowadays, even the elderly.
A. play B. plays C. playing
( )2. —What would you prefer, coffee or tea?
—Either ______ acceptable. I don’t have a preference.
A. is B. are C. was
( )3. My sister along with my parents ______ dumplings when I returned home yesterday evening.
A. are making B. is making
C. was making D. were making
要点六：由两部分构成的表示物品的名词作主语时，谓语动词通常使用复数形式，例如shoes, trousers, jeans, scissors, chopsticks等。但如果这些名词前有量词如pair等修饰，则谓语动词的数应与量词保持一致。
【实例分析】
( ) The pair of trousers ______ me. I’ll purchase it.
A. fit B. fits C. will fit
要点七：
1. “a (large / small) number of + 复数可数名词 / 代词”作主语时，谓语动词需用复数形式；“the number of + 复数可数名词 / 代词”作主语时，谓语动词则应采用单数形式。
2. “分数 / 百分数+ of + 名词”和“the rest / most of +名词”作主语时，谓语动词的数应依据名词的数决定。
【实例分析】
( )1. In our city there ______ a considerable number of cars and the number of them ______ continuously increasing.
A. are; is B. have; is C. is; are
( )2. Approximately ______ of the land ______ covered by trees and grass.
A. three fifths; is
B. three fifths; are
C. three fifth; are
( )3. The number of volunteers in our city ______ 2,000. Moreover, sixty percent of them ______ either teachers or students.
A. is; is B. is; are
C. are; is D. are; are
语义对应原则
语义对应原则指出谓语动词与主语的一致性并非完全取决于主语的语法形式，而是由其语义特征所决定。
要点一：当数词作主语，或表示距离、金额、时间等名词(短语)作主语时，通常将其视为一个整体，谓语动词应采用单数形式。
【实例分析】
( )1. Fifty yuan ______ sufficient.
A. is B. am C. are
( )2. —Mom, I only watched TV for forty minutes. Sometimes ______ is beneficial for us.
—Forty minutes ______ adequate. Now you should focus on your homework.
A. watch; is
B. watching; was
C. watched; are
D. watching; were
要点二：某些集体名词通常指代复数的人或物，谓语动词需使用复数形式，如police；而另一些集体名词作主语时，若将其作为一个整体看待，谓语动词应采用单数形式；若指集体中的成员，则谓语动词需使用复数形式，如family, class, team, group, crowd等；当population表示“人口数量”时，谓语动词应使用单数形式；而当population表示“全体居民”时，谓语动词可采用单数或复数形式。
【实例分析】
( )1. The population of China ______ over 1.3 billion and China possesses a larger population than ______ in the world.
A. is; any country
B. is; any other country
C. are; the other countries
D. are; any other countries
( )2. Look! The police ______ the food onto the riverbank.
A. am carrying B. is carrying
C. are carrying D. are carried
要点三：以-s结尾的单数名词如news, physics, maths, politics等作主语时，谓语动词应采用单数形式。
【实例分析】
( )—Politics ______ my favorite subject. What about you?
—Physics ______. I find it quite fascinating.
A. is; is B. are; are C. are；is
要点四：
1. “the + 形容词”表示一类人作主语时，谓语动词通常采用复数形式。这类形容词包括the brave, the poor, the rich, the blind, the young, the old, the sick, the dead等。
2. “the + 姓氏的复数形式”表示某一家庭成员或夫妻双方，其作主语时，谓语动词应采用复数形式。
【实例分析】
( )1. The elderly ______ our assistance, so we should show compassion towards them.
A. declines B. refuse
C. requires D. need
( )2. The Greens ______ a television show at the moment.
A. is watching B. are watching
C. watch D. watches
要点五：定语从句中谓语动词的单复数取决于其先行词的单复数。
【实例分析】
( )—I really want to unwind. Could we watch City Danger tonight?
—Of course! The actor ______ a hero who used to be a schoolteacher. I admire him greatly.
A. who play B. which plays
C. who plays D. that play
最近主语对应原则
最近主语对应原则指出谓语动词的数应与其最近的主语在人称和数上保持一致。
要点一：以or, not only … but also …, either … or …, neither … nor … 等连接的名词(或代词)作主语时，谓语动词需与离它最近的主语在人称和数上保持一致。
【实例分析】
( )1. Not only you but also everyone present ______ interested in watching football matches.
A. likes B. like C. is like
( )2. Neither Li Hua nor I ______ proficient in writing.
A. am B. is C. are
( )3. —What would you prefer for dinner?
—Either noodles or rice ______ acceptable. I have no preference.
A. are B. were C. is D. was
要点二：在there be句型中，如果有两个或两个以上的主语时，主语与谓语的一致通常遵循最近主语对应原则。
【实例分析】
( )1. There ______ a pencil and several pens in the box.
A. is B. are C. aren’t
( )2. Don’t be concerned. There ______ an adequate amount of water, vegetables, and fruits in the refrigerator.
A. have B. are C. is