主谓一致有许多原则，概括起来不外乎三种一致原则，即语法形式一致，概念一致（语言内容上一致），毗邻一致（谓语动词的单复数形式和紧位于其前的主语一致）。

　　1. 语法形式一致

　　（1）单数主语、单个动词不定式、动名词短语以及句子作主语，谓语动词要用单数形式。复数主语，用and或both…and连接的动词不定式短语、动名词短语以及主语从句作主语，谓语动词则用复数形式。例如：

　　1) The performance was very funny.

　　2) Serving the people is my great happiness.

　　3) Whether we’ll go depends on the weather.

　　4) Many natural materials are becoming scarce.

　　5) Both you and I are　students.

　　6) What I think and what I seek have been fairly reflected in my paper.

　　注1：在what 引导的主语从句中，如果主语补语是复数时，谓语动词用复数形式。例如：

　　What we have to learn are the pieces of language that produce inversion.

　　注2：修饰语对主语的数不起影响。例如：

　　The performance of the first three clowns was very funny.

　　（2）由as well as, with, along with, like, together with, rather than, except, but, including, accompanied by, plus, besides, in addition to, no less than 等引起的结构跟在主语后面，不能看作是并列主语，该主语不受这些词组引导的插入语的影响，主语如是单数，其谓语动词仍然用单数形式。例如：

　　1) My mother, as well as my father, has a key to the office.

　　2) The man together with his wife and children sits there watching TV.

　　3) His sister no less than you is wrong.

　　4) The reading course book, plus its reference books, is helpful to college students.

　　注：有时在with结构里，加上both之后，with就具有and含义。例如：

　　Grandpa Wang with his son, both looking very happy, are taking a walk in the park.

　　(3)有些代词只能指单数可数名词，当它们在句子中作主语时，尽管在意义上是多数，谓语动词仍要用单数形式。这类代词有either, neither, each, one, the other, another, somebody, someone, something, anyone, anything, anybody, everyone, everything, everybody, no one, nothing, nobody等。例如：

　　1) Neither likes the friends of the other. (两人都不喜欢对方的朋友。)

　　2) Everything around us is matter. (我们周围的所有东西都是物质。)

　　(4)在neither of与either of的结构里，一般语法书都认为谓语动词可用单数形式也可用复数形式，但在美国的TOEFL考试内要求用单数形式。例如：

　　1) Neither of them was in good health, but both worked very hard.

　　2) Has either of them been seen recently?

　　(5)当and连结的两个名词是指同一个人或同一件事，and后的名词前没有冠词，谓语动词应该用单数形式；在and后面的名词前有冠词，谓语就用复数形式。例如：

　　1)The bread and butter is served for breakfast. (早饭供应黄油面包。)

　　2)The bread and the butter are on sale. (正在出售黄油和面包。)

　　（6）当one of, a portion of, a series of, a species of, a chain of 结构作主语时，谓语动词要用单数形式。例如：

　　1)One of those students has passed the examination.

　　2)A series of pre-recorded tapes has been prepared for language laboratory use.

　　(7)form of, type of, kind of 结构的谓语视form, type与kind的单复数而定.these/those kind/type of后是复数名词，谓语动词用复数形式。例如：

　　1) The kind of books an author writes depends on the kind of man who he is.

　　2) Some new types of cars are now on show.

　　3)These kind of recorders are good.

　　(8)由one and a half + 复数名词作主语时，谓语动词视名词的单复数形式而定。例如：

　　One and a half apples is left on the plate.

　　(9) 由the majority of + 名词作主语时，谓语动词视名词的单复数形式而定。例如：

　　1) The majority of the damage is easy to repair.

　　2) The majority of criminals are non-violent.

　　（10）plenty of, half of, a lot of, lots of, heaps of, loads of, scads of等 + 可数与不可数名词作主语时，不可数名词的谓语只用单数，可数名词的谓语视可数名词的单复数而定。例如：

　　1）Half of this building is to be completed by spring.

　　2）Half of the buildings have been painted completely.

　　3）There is plenty of water in the pail.

　　4）There are plenty of eggs in the box.

　　5）There is loads of milk on the farm.

　　6）There are loads of big red apples on the ground.

　　注：当名词前有其他量词修饰时，谓语动词的单复数形式通常取决于量词。例如：

　　1）Row upon row of soldiers is marching towards us on the field.

　　2）A body of volunteers has been organized to aid the helpless in their struggle for survival.

　　（11）由all of, most of, a lot of, some of, none of, plenty of , the rest 等 + 名词作主语时，谓语动词的单数形式应与名词一致。例如：

　　1）None of the books satisfy the students.

　　2）None of this meat is fit to eat.

　　3）All of the research work was designed by the chief engineer.

　　4）All of the students are against the plan for an outing at this time of the term.

　　（12）由more than one (或more than one + 单数名词)，many a + 单数名词作主语，谓语动词要用单数形式。例如：

　　1）More than one student has passed the examination.

　　2）Many a boy learns to swim before he can read.

　　注：如果more than后面是复数名词，则谓语动词要用复数。

　　例如：More than two hundred students have attended the lecture.

　　（13）quantity of + 不可数名词，谓语动词用单数形式; quantities of + 可数与不可数名词，谓语动词用复数形式。例如：

　　1）Great quantities of milk are needed in this city.

　　2）There is a large quantity of milk.

　　（14）如果名词词组中心词是“分数或百分数 + of + 名词”，谓语动词的单、复数形式取决于of后的名词或代词的单、复数形式。例如：

　　1）Over three-quarters of the swampland has been reclaimed.

　　2）Two-thirds of the people present are against the plan.

　　（15）定语从句谓语动词的单复数形式应与先行词一致。例如：

　　1）He is one of the men who were chosen to represent the group.

　　2）“Keep cool” is the first of the rules that are to be remembered in an accident.

　　注：当one之前有the only等限定词修饰时，定语从句的谓语动词用单数形式。例如：

　　He is the only one of those boys who is willing to take on another assignment.