英語名詞有數(shù)、格的變化,掌握它們才能在解題時對名詞范圍內(nèi)的結構考題作分析、判斷,得出正確的答案。
【例1】The school staff gathered to hear the president speak.
A)is B)be C)are D)will
【分析】staff 是集合名詞,明顯地強調(diào)某組織或集合體的成員,動詞應取復數(shù)形式,所以C項正確。類似的詞還有:family, committee, police, cattle, audience, herd, crowd, troop, team等。
【例2】A large crowd expected at the football match.
A)is B)be C)are D)will
【分析】crowd 是集合名詞,強調(diào)一個整體,具有單數(shù)意義,根據(jù)題意,A項正確。
【例3】Economics, several courses of which I have taken thus far, to be difficult but useful for almost all students.
A)prove B)have been proved C)proves D)are proved
【分析】句中several courses of which I have taken thus far 是非限定性定語從句,其前后用逗號與主句分開。主句主語Economics是以 s 結尾的表示學科名稱的名詞, 在句中作單數(shù)第三人稱看待, 因此應選C項, 以求句中主謂一致。英語中以 s 結尾表示學科名稱的名詞很多,如:mathematics,statistics,politics,physics,phonetics等。
【例4】Her sister works in college but I don’t know which one.
A)the women’s B) a women’s C)the women D) a women
【分析】根據(jù)句意可以看出女子學院是泛指,不是特指,所以答案就在B、D選項中選一個,選哪一個,這就要按名詞的所有格規(guī)則去判定。名詞所有格規(guī)定:當名詞與其它名詞存在著所有關系、主謂關系、動賓關系或表示類別等意義時,該名詞就采用所有格形式。上句中women與college之間存在著類別關系,因此答案B才是正確的。