主谓一致”在雅思填空题中的应用

 

主谓一致是很多同学在中学时期听过的一个语法概念。所谓‘主谓一致’，就是主语的形式必须和谓语的形式必须要保持一致。

 

主语的形式大体上分有三种：可数名词单数，可数名词复数和不可数名词。

谓语动词的形式相对复杂，可分为be动词（单数和复数），实意动词（单数和复数），和助动词（单数和复数）。下面我们通过几个雅思常考词汇来认识一下这些概念：

 

 三种“主语”

1）可数名词单数：whale ,volcano , opinion , fact , mistake , program 等等

2）可数名词复数：whales ,volcanoes , opinions , facts , mistakes , programs 等等

3）不可数名词：liquid ,suggestion , information , behavior , stability 等等

 

 六种“谓语”

1）be动词单数：is , was, has been

2）be动词复数：are ,were , have been

3）实意动词单数：illustrates ,varies , suggests , instructs , grants 等等

4）实意动词复数：illustrate ,vary , suggest , instruct , grant 等等

5）助动词单数：does , doesn’t, has , hasn’t

6）助动词复数：do , don’t ,have , haven’t

 

按照‘主谓一致’法则，主语是可数名词复数，谓语动词应选择2），4）或6）三种情况；主语是可数名词单数或不可数名词，谓语动词应选择1）, 3) , 5) 三种情况。

 

 

下面我们来通过几道雅思的填空题，看看‘主谓一致’的法则到底好不好用？

 

例1：Day length in a useful cue for breeding in areas where ______ areunpredictable .

译文：在一个_____ 不可预知的地区，昼长是一个有用的线索。

 

Step 1 : where … are unpredictable 是一个定语从句，修饰前面的areas, 句中的谓语动词用的是are , 所以推断出主语应该是一个名词复数。

 

Step2: 通过关键词Day length , cue,和breeding 我们定位到了下面这句话，即使我们不认识这些关键词（当然最好是都认识），我们也知道含有关键词多的句子一定是答案的出处。

Breeding in most organismsoccurs during a part of the year only, and so a reliable cue isneeded to trigger breeding behaviour. Day length is an excellentcue, because it provides a perfectly predictable pattern ofchange within the year. In the temperate zone in spring, temperatures fluctuategreatly from day to day, but day length increases steadily by a predictableamount.

 

Step3: 这句话中有这样几个加‘s’的单词，有可能是我们要找的答案。

occurs (动词三单，排除) ， provides (动词三单，排除) ， increases (动词三单，排除) ，只有temperatures (名词复数) 是符合答案要求的，所以答案就是temperatures 温度。

 

刚才的做题环节中我并没有去刻意的理解句子意思，只是靠名词复数就能够把答案作对。所以主谓一致这条技巧对于解出这道题来说是至关重要的。（当然分清名词复数和动词三单也很重要哦!）

 

例2：The sense of smell may involve response to _______ which do notsmell , in addition to obvious odours .

 

response to + 名词复数/不可数名词， 但是后面跟的定语从句中的谓语部分是donot , 有词课推出前面的名词是复数。

 

根据关键词sense of smell , response to 和do not smell , 我们定位到了下面这句话：Researchershave still to decide whether smell is one sense or two – one respondingto odours proper and the other registering odourless chemicals in theair . 这句话中的复数名词只有一个chemicals 化学物质，所以答案就填chemicals .

 

例3：

 

18题的谓语部分是disappear , 所以主语应该是一个名词复数

19题的谓语部分是attract , 所以主语应该是一个名词复数。

20题的定语从句部分的谓语是absorb , 所以前面所修饰的名词应该是一个名词复数

 

在准确地判断出词性之后我们只需要在还有关键词的句子里找到加‘s’的名词复数即可，及时你并不能看懂整句话到底在说些什么。

 

Q18: Usually , as they swim , they makeclicking noises and the resulting sound waves are reflected in an echo andtravel back to them . However , these just fade out on shallow beaches , so thewhale doesn’t hear an echo and it crashes onto the shore .

 

Q19: To put it more simply , she says , inthe years when strong westerly and southerly winds bring cool water rich  in nutrients closer to the Australiacoast , there is an increase in the number of fish . The whales follow .

 

Q20: The ocean is full of bubbles. Largerones rise quickly to the surface and disappear, whilst smaller ones – called microbubbles – can last for days . It is these that absorb whale ‘clicks’.

 

通过以上几个例子，我们不难发现，对于基础不是很好，不能够看懂整句话意思的同学，准确的判断出名词复数可以大大减少干扰项的误导，从而更准确的排除错误答案，而每次阅读考试40道题里有大约10道题都是填空题，而填空题中有将近三分之一的空都是名词复数，这部分题可以被我们看做是‘送分题’，无论你的目标分数是5.5 ，还有6.5及以上，这3,4分对大家来说都是非常重要的，大家可以在接下来的训练中有意识的去注意名词复数的答案。

 

下面附上几道答案是名词复数的填空题，大家自己分析一下为何是填名词复数吧！

1. Cam 12 – Test 7 – P2 – Q22 :

Disease- causing ______ are most likely tobe found in hot , damp regions .

 

2. Cam 12 – Test 8 – P1 – Q 3 :

 _______ made of stone were covered in acoating of man-made glass .

 

3. Cam 11 – Test 3 – P1 – Q3+Q4 :

Only ______ were allowed to producesilk.  Only _____ were allowed to wearsilk .

 

4. Cam11 – Test 3 – P1 – Q8 :

______ hide silkworm eggs in canes and takethem to Constantinople .

 

5. Cam 11 – Test2 – P1 – Q10 :

_______ prevent hull being sucked into mud.

 

6. Cam11 – Test 1 – P2 – Q26 :

_____ raise boat 11 m to level of UnionCanal .

 

7. Cam 8 – Test 1 – P3 – Q36 :

______ were used for key tasks to limit theamount of ______ in carrying out the tests .

 

8. Cam7 – Test 2 – P2 – Q22

Professor Pretty concludes that our ______are higher than most people realize .

 

9. Cam 7 – Test 1 – P1 – Q 11

Radar is an inaccurate term when referringto bats because _______ are not used in their navigation system .

 

10. Cam 6 – Test 1 – P3 – Q37

The territory of Nunavut consists of littlemore than ice , rock and a few _____ .