| 1. |
你給我記住：不定代名詞 (indefinite pronouns) anyone,
everyone, someone, no one, nobody 永遠是單數！
- Everyone has done his or her homework.
- Somebody has left her purse.
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若干不定代名詞 (如 all, some) 為複數或單數 --
視其所指的名詞為可數或不可數而定。
- Some of the beads are missing.
- Some of the water is gone.
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相對地，none
這個不定代名詞可為單數或複數都沒關係，除非句子中有別的人事物來決定它的數。
- None of you claims responsibility for this
incident?
- None of you claim responsibility for this
incident?
- None of the students have done their
homework. (在最後這個例子中，their
這個字告訴你要使用複數動詞，不能使用單數動詞。)
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| 2. |
你給我記住：若干不定代名詞特別麻煩：everyone
和 everybody， 它們讓我們覺得我們好像是在談論一個人以上，所以應該使用複數動詞；而
each
的後面通常接以複數字做結尾的介系詞片語，這經常困擾我們對動詞的選擇。
Everyone has finished his or her
homework.
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記住：你一定要說 "Everybody is here."
這意謂這個字是單數，沒有什麼事情會改變此一事實。
Each of the students is
responsible for doing his or her work in the library.
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別讓 "students" 給迷惑了；主詞是 each，而
each 永遠是單數：Each is responsible.
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| 3. |
你給我記住：together with， as well as
和 along with 等片語與 and 並不相同.
- The mayor as well as his brothers is going
to prison.
- The mayor and his brothers are going to
jail.
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由 as well as 或 along with
所引導的片語係修飾前面的字 (本例為 mayor)，但它並未使主詞複數化
(而 and 則有使主詞 1+1=2 的複數化作用)。
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| 4. |
你給我記住：neither 和 either
這兩個代名詞永遠是單數，即使就某一方面來說它們似乎是指兩樣事物。
- Neither of the two traffic lights is
working.
- Either suit is fine with me.
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| 5. |
你給我記住：連接詞 or
並沒有結合的作用，所以，在使用 or 或 nor
的場合，比較接近動詞的主詞決定了動詞的數。至於主詞是在動詞的前面還是後面則無關緊要。
- Either my father or my brothers are going
to sell the house.
- Neither my brothers nor my father is going
to sell the house.
- Are either my brothers or my father
resposible?
- Is either my father or my brothers
responsible?
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| 6. |
你給我記住：there 和 here
永遠、絕對不是主詞。
- There are two reasons [複數主詞] for
this.
- There is no reason for this.
- Here are two apples.
在這種結構中，主詞跟隨在動詞之後。
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| 7. |
你給我記住：第三人稱、單數主詞 (he, she,
it) 的現在式動詞以加 s 做結尾。其他動詞則否。
He loves； she loves；they
love . . . .
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| 8. |
你給我記住：有時修飾語是放在主詞和動詞之間，但這些修飾語不應混淆主詞及其動詞之間的一致性。
The mayor, who has been convicted along
with his four brothers on four counts of various crimes but who also seems, like a cat, to
have several political lives, is
finally going to jail.
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| 9. |
你給我記住：有時當主詞的名詞具有怪異的型態，可能使我們將單數名詞誤以為複數名詞，或將複數名詞誤以為單數名詞。glasses，
pants， pliers，和 scissors 等字被視為複數，除非它們的前面有 pair
of 這個片語 (此時 pair 這個字就變成了主詞)。
- My glasses were on the bed.
- My pants were torn.
- A pair of trousers is in the closet.
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| 10. |
你給我記住：分數字詞如 half of， a part of，
a percentage of， a majority of
有時是單數，有時是複數，視意思而定。(當然，這也適用於 all，
any，more， most ， some 當主詞的情況。)
數學過程的總和與乘積係以單數來表示。
- Some of the voters are still angry.
- A large percentage of the older population is
voting against her.
- Two-fifths of the troops were lost in the
battle.
- Two-fifths of the vineyard was destroyed
by fire.
- Two and two is four.
- Four times four divided by two is eight.
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| 11. |
你給我記住：有些字以 s
做字尾，但卻是單數。
- The news from the front is bad.
- Measles is a dangerous disease for
pregnant women.
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相對地，有些以 s
做字尾的字指的是單一事物，但卻是複數。
- My assets were wiped out in the
depression.
- The average worker's earnings have gone up
dramatically.
- Our thanks go to the workers who supported
the union.
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