lecture11_01无主句

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lecture 11(物称与人称)

the conference room at 2 P· Friday. M. (All faculty and staff are requested to meet in the conference room at 2 P· Friday.) M.
三、物称与人称的翻译策略 (一)有灵主语与无灵主语的转换汉语句子多为有灵主语;而英语善用无灵主语。在翻译中,为了符合英汉各自的思维方式,在叙述方式上必须注意主语的转换。请看下例英汉互译中的转换: (12)Business took him to the town. 他因事进城去了。 (13)A great elation overcame them. 他们欣喜若狂。
她独处时便感到一种特殊的安宁。

2.非人称代词“it”和there be句型的使用。
王力先生曾对英语形式主语做过精辟的论述:就句子结构而言,西洋语言(英语)是法治的,中国语言是人治的,法治的不管主语用得着用不着,总要呆板地求句子形式的一律;人治的用得着就用,用不着的就不用,只要能使对话人听懂说话人的意思,就算了。这也为英汉互译中“it”形式主语和零位主语的处理提供了依据。
与此形成对比的是,中国人相信“天人合一 (oneness between man and nature)”。而且, 这种“天人合一”儒家的代表人物孟子认为“万物皆备于我” 。因此,从“我”就可以掌握“万物”的本质,而“万物”的特征也显现在“我” 之中。这即是中国文化传统意义上的人本文化。这种人本文化的长期积淀,形成了汉民族主体型的思维方式,即以人文为中心来观察、分析、推理和研究事物的思维

（英文中出现了七个动词被动式，而中文里却一个“被”字也没有，翻译时还添加了多个“我们”“你们”等人称词。英汉语民族思维习惯之

语法复习：动词的语气——虚拟语气

语法复习：动词的语⽓——虚拟语⽓动词的语⽓—虚拟语⽓(Unreal conditionals / the subjunctive mood)⼀、语⽓的定义和种类l、语⽓：语⽓是动词的⼀种形式，它表⽰说话⼈对某⼀⾏为或事情的看法和态度。

2、语⽓的种类：(1)陈述语⽓: 表⽰动作或状态是现实的、确定的或符合事实的，⽤于陈述句、疑问句和某些感叹句。

如：We are not ready. 我们没准备好。

What a fine day it is!多好的天⽓啊!(2)祈使语⽓: 表⽰说话⼈的建议、请求、邀请、命令等。

如: Open the door, please。

请打开门。

(3)虚拟语⽓: 表⽰动作或状态不是客观存在的事实，⽽是说话⼈的主观愿望、假设或推测等。

如: If I were you, I should study English. 如果我是你，我就学英语了。

May you succeed! 祝您成功！⼆、虚拟语⽓在条件从句中的⽤法条件句有两类，⼀类是真实条件句，⼀类是虚拟条件句。

如果假设的情况是有可能发⽣的，就是真实条件何。

在这种真实条件句中的谓语⽤陈述语⽓。

如: If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we will go to the park. 如果明天不下⾬，我们就去公园。

如果假设的情况是过去或现在都不存在的，或将来不⼤可能发⽣的，则是虚拟条件句。

如: If he had seen you yesterday, he would have asked you about it. 如果他昨天见到你，他会问你这件事的。

(事实上他昨天没见到你，因此也未能问你这件事。

)在含有虚拟条件句的复合句中，主句和从句的谓语都要⽤虚拟语⽓。

现将虚拟条件从句和主句的动词形式列表如下:注: 主句中的should只⽤于I、we，但在美国英语中，should常被would代替；从句中的should 可⽤于各种⼈称。

全国英语等级考试第一级教程Unit11ppt课件

① What’s wrong with you? ② sick leave ③ Ouch ④ No matter… ⑤ Though ⑥ So…that…
技能要求(Skills)
1.听力：听懂有关身体情况的简短文章和对话。 2.阅读：读懂有关身体健康情况介绍的文章，并回答问题。 3.写作：改写句子：掌握有关句型和表达方式，利用所学语法结构和句型改写句子。书面表达：简要介绍个人健康身体情况。 4.口语：熟读对话与课文，背诵对话语句，并就课文内容进行对话问答。
CLOSE
decide to do
☆意为决定去做某事，停下来去做另外一件事。 I decide to go to the USA for the further education.
CLOSE
stop doing/stop to do
☆ stop doing sth 表示停止做某事，指停止做原来的事情。 Hearing the doorbell, she stopped washing the dishes. ☆ stop to do 表示停下（手头的事情）去做另外一件事。 Hearing the doorbell, she stopped to open the door.
2. 重点训练词组 (Focal Expressions)
decide to do according to stop doing keep on doing too…to…
hold up need to do as…as… try to
3. 重点句型和习惯表达法（Focal Functions and Patterns）
CLOSE
keep on doing/keep doing
1. 均可表示“继续做某事，反复做某事”，可互换，只是keep on 更加强调时间的间隔性和动作的反复性，及某人做某事的决心。 He kept on working until midnight though he was tired. 2. 若表示连续不断的动作，或某一动作的持续状态，只宜用keep doing。 They kept standing outside the room during CLOSE all the meeting.

汉英翻译技巧无主句的翻译

(2) 不承认这一条真理，就不是共产主义者。
Anyone who does not recognize this truth is no communist.
(3) 知彼知己，百战不殆。
Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.
(2) 这儿将修建更多的居民大楼。
More apartment houses will be built here. (3) 去年发现了一种稀有元素。
A rare element was found last year.
(二)某些表示要求、规定的无主句，也往往可以译成被动句。例如：
(3) 地下埋藏着大量的金、银、铜、铅、锌。
Hidden underground is a wealth of gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.
(4) 和这些产品一道展出的还有钢铁厂和高炉的模型。
On display by the side of those products were models of iron and steel works and blast furnaces.
(2) 活到老，学到老。
One is never too old to learn.
(3) 你忘记一句古话了吗：活到老，学到老。何况你并不老。
Have you ever forgotten the old saying: one is never too old to learn. In any case, you’re not old at all.

Lecture 1(英汉句法与段落结构的比较) - 副本

变竹竿为树状

改变大量使用简单句和并列句的倾向。树状句能更好地表达句内的逻辑关系。
练习：
1.
2.
3.
Shanghai means “above the sea”. It is on the Huangpu River. The Huangpu River is the lower tributary at the mouth of the Yangtze. Energy is much needed now. And nuclear plants are clean and economical. They can produce vast amount of energy. But many people are very concerned about safety. They hold a strong negative attitude towards them. The rural area is far from the city, and lack transport facilities. This makes it isolated from the outside world. And because it is difficult to access information this isolation is compound.
抽象名词化: 用名词表示动作

College life makes me feel excited. College life filled me with excitement. If you compare the two ways of life carefully, you will find the former is superior to the latter. Careful comparison of the two ways of life will show the superiority of the former over the latter.

5无主句译法

5
3.To use inverted order
在游廊的最左边，靠近一道门，却坐有一位将近三十岁的男子。 Close by a door at the extreme left of the veranda sat a man of about thirty. 在船边，离他头很近，开着几朵紫色的水莲。 Just beside the boat and very close to his head bloomed many purple lilies. 山里住着个前程的老和尚。 In the mountain lived an old devout monk 远处穿来悲壮的笳声。 In the distance sounded a solemn, stirring reed flute.
13
时下，在北京的图书馆、博物馆甚至书店里，经常有一些大大小小不同类型的文化讲座。这些讲座，小而言之，只是一次次知识的宣讲，大而言之，则是先进文化的传播。在这方面，中国现代文学馆组织的周末义务讲座无疑是开风气之先、具有示范作用的。这里，一时间竟出现了作家学者主动报名讲演，听者以能占有一席之地为荣的局面。可以相信，当越来越多的人自觉进入求学殿堂之时，就是我国国民素质快速提升之日。
14
At present, in libraries, museums or even bookstores in Beijing, there are often culture lectures on different scales and of varied sizes. These lectures, in practical terms, are repeated knowledge impartations. In theoretical terms, they are cases of advanced culture propagations. Of the lectures, the weekend free lecture series organized by China Modern Literary Museum are of pioneering and modeling significance. Here, many writers and scholars volunteer to be entered for opportunities to give lectures while the audience is honored when given a seat. We are convinced that when more and more people are willing to be enrolled on such educational programs, the quality of our citizens will be greatly enhanced.

英语语法Lecture One

1. 酸奶里面乳酸含量比其他奶类要高。
• Yogurt contains a higher percentage of lactic acid than other milks. 2. 她年轻时是一个美人儿。
• She was a beauty in her youth.
抽象、总称与具体、特定
• 1. 改错: I pronounce this couple to be a husband and wife. You may kiss. • 2. 翻译: 我们不是男女朋友关系。 We are not boyfriend and girlfriend. • 3. 改错: Located in Canada, the Columbia Ice Field covers area of 120 square A B B 改为 “an area” miles and is 3.30 feet thick in some places C D
• • • •
教堂的天花板这本书的名字凯罗尔的前夫的妹妹的室友我接受了在旅途中遇到的那位老人的建议。
• • • •
the roof of the church the name of the song Carol’s ex-husband’s sister’s roommate I took the advice of an old man I met during a journey.
● ● ● ● ●
● ● ● ●
Tense & aspect ----simple tense
●
● ● ●
H: There isn’t any milk left in the fridge. W: I’ll buy some after work. I am going to buy some after work.

高中英语人教版新教材选择性必修一 unit1 词汇用法重点句型讲解

高中英语选修一 unit1词汇用法重点句型讲解一、背诵清单1.vital adj.必不可少的；极其重要的(crucial)；充满生机的be vital for/to sth 对……极其重要be of vital importance to...对……至关重要It is vital that sb (should) do sth 某人做某事是极其重要的It is vital to do...做……很重要eg. Faced with such a vital problem of life and death, he still kept calm, which made us all surprised.(人物描写)面对着这样重大的生死问题，他仍保持冷静，这使我们都很吃惊。

mit vt.承诺；保证vi.忠于；全心全意投入(工作、活动等)•commit mistakes/a crime 犯错误/犯罪commit oneself to sth/doing sth/do sth专心致志于；承诺；保证(做某事、遵循协议或安排等)commit sth(time/money) to (doing) sth 投入时间/金钱(做)某事•committedadj.尽心尽力的；坚定的；坚信的be committed to (doing) sth 承诺/全身心地投入(做)某事•commitmentn.承诺，保证；花费；投入，忠于eg. I strongly suggest that you (should)commit one hour to reading English，which will gradually improve your spoken English.(建议信) 我强烈建议你每天抽出一个小时读英语，这将逐渐提高你的英语口语。

3.objective n.目标；目的(aim, purpose)adj.客观的【联想】发表“观点态度”：①subjective adj.主观的②neutral adj.中立的③indifferent adj.漠不关心的④unconcerned adj.漠不关心的4.evaluate vt.评价；评估；估计•evaluate sb on...根据……评价某人•evaluationn.估计，评价make an evaluation of...对……进行评估eg. It is widely acknowledged that students should be evaluated in terms of overall qualities.(建议信) 人们普遍认为应该从综合素质的角度来评价学生。

翻译基础11_汉语特殊句型的翻译

1.1 增加主语
1）黑漆漆的，不知是日是夜。 Pitch dark, I don’t know whether it is day
or night. 2) 采取积极措施，促进全社会固定资产投资较快增长。 We will adopt vigorous measures to promote rapid expansion of total fixed asset investment.
1.1 增加主语
汉语中有泛指人称句，好像是说话人对读者或
听者发出的一种劝告、警告、命令、行为指示，或是对一种社会现象的描述和评论。翻译时需要补上泛指意义的人称代词或名词。 1）只有慎之又慎，才能避免犯不必要的错误。 Being very careful, you can avoid making unnecessary mistakes.
1.3 译成祈使句
有些口号式的句子，翻译时省略主语，译成英

语祈使句。 1）好好学习，天天向上。 Study hard and make progress every day. 2) 学习好，工作好，身体好。 Study hard, work well, keep fit. 3) 继续为实现党的基本路线和历史任务而奋斗。 Continue to strive for the fulfillment of the basic line and historic mission of the Party.
1.2 译成被动句
1）实施科教兴国战略取得新进展，各项社会事

业全面进步。 Fresh progress was made in implementing the strategy of developing the country through science, technology and education and all social undertakings developed. 2) 禁止任何方法对公民进行侮辱和诽谤。 Insult or slander against citizens in any form is prohibited. 3)大多数中学里都教英语。 English is being taught in most middle schools.

电大英语unit 11语法详解

一、被动语态英语中的语态分主动语态和被动语态两种。

英语中只有及物动词才能构成被动语态。

被动语态的构成形式为“be＋动词的过去分词”。

在下列情况下用被动语态：不知道或不必要提出动作的执行者；强调动作的承受者。

被动语态的构成被动语态的构成形式为“be＋动词的过去分词”，随时态的不同，“be”发生相应的变化，下表是be在英语八种被动时态中的变化形式Activity 1 被动语态专项练习请写出被动语态的基本结构：________________________________A.一般现在时的被动语态结构：is /am/are +及物动词的过去分词1．Football （play）all over the world。

2．Many trees （plant）in North China.3．Rice （grow）in South China.4．A camera （use）for taking photos5．I often （ask）to do this work.B.一般过去时的被动语态结构：was /were+及物动词的过去分词1.The house （build）in 1978.2. All the students _____________ (ask) to bring a kite with them lastSunday3. The car (clean) by Dad yesterday.4. I （tell）to wait for him right here.5. When the present （give）to him by his mother？C. 你能试着做一做含有其它时态的被动语态吗？1. The letter (write) by Lin Tao now. （现在进行时）2. The CD-ROMs (sell) already. （现在完成时）3. The blackboard (clean) when I came in. （过去进行时）参考答案：A．1. is played 2. are planted 3. is grown 4. is used 5. am…asked B. 1. was built 2. were asked 3. was cleaned 4. was told 5. was…givenC. 1. is being writen 2. have been sold 3. was being cleaned二、直接引语变间接引语引述别人的话有两种方式：一是使用引号引出人家的原话，这叫做直接引语；一是用自己的话把人家的话转述出来，这叫做间接引语。

翻译基础11 汉语特殊句型的翻译

2.3.2 “为……所”式
茅屋为秋风所破。 The thatched house was destroyed by the autumn storm. 她被花言巧语所陶醉。 She is intoxicated with sweet words. 社会主义思想体系已为全国人民所接受。 Socialist ideology has been accepted by all the people of the country.
主语泛称句
当施事者难以指明时，汉语还可以采用通称（generic person）或泛称（如“人”、“有人”、“人们”、“大家”、“人家”、“别人”、 “某人”等）作主语，以保持句子的主动形式。 1）人们常常指责他优柔寡断，虽然这种指责并不总是公正的。 He has often, not always justly, been accused of indecisiveness. 2) 有人听见呼救的声音。 Voice were heard calling for help. 3) 众所周知，中国人在四千年前就发明了指南针。 It is well known that the compass was invented in China four thousand years ago. 4）有人问她感觉如何，她说：“呼吸困难。” When asked how she felt, she said: “ I’m having trouble breathing.” 5）人们必须联系世界环境去认识和研究人口控制问题。 The problem of population control has to be recognized and approached in a world environmental context.

lecture汉语句子的英译(小句的连接和整合)解读

(4) 当时，友谊商店只对外宾开放，不对中宾开放。 At the time the friendship store was exclusively open to foreign visitors. (5) 她对自己所取得的成就充满了自豪，这也不是没有道理的。 She is justifiably proud of her achievements.
Lecture 6
汉语句子英译之二（化散为整）

汉语行文形式连接少，多用散句。英语句子形式严密。（diffusive vs. compact) 汉译英如何化散为整？意义合并的手段： 1 形合法参见汉语流水长句的翻译（lecture5） 2 化散为整
句子的化散为整
1. 使用具有连接作用的结构, 如and, so that, who, that 等 2. 短语结构：分词短语，动词不定式，介词短语名词短语或名词性短语名词或名词性短语与标点符号连用 , : --- 对前面(也包括后面)的名词进行解释说明,一般称为同位结构３. 副词４. 使用名词化的结构来合并句子
（３）房子位于荒废的小巷里，破败陈旧，一片凄凉。 The old and dilapidated house in the deserted lane made a dismal picture. (注意意义的整合）（４）议会解散以后，出现了动荡局面。 Congress dissolution saw violent scenes. （５）他的健康状况很差，无法实现他的梦想。 Poor health incapacipated (disabled) him from realizing his dream.
小句表达的意思用动名词短语表达他将中国人民最钟爱的古典小说以通俗易懂的方式引荐给西方读者，为中国和英国人民架起一座文化的桥梁，他的贡献将永为世人铭记。 He will always be remembered for bringing the Chinese people's favourite classical novel closer to western readers, making it readable and understandable, and for building a cultural bridge between the Chinese and British people. …

实用英语语法讲义Lecture1-3

Lecture 1 Sentence Structure1.1 The construction of “subject + predicate” and sentence analysisAs has been pointed out before, the clause or the simple sentence is structurally a sequence of phrases and logically a construction of "subject + predicate". That is to say, the clause or the simple sentence is not just an agglomeration of phrases; it is a group of phrases organized into a construction of "subject + predicate".1) Subject and predicateA full-fledged clause can generally be divided into two parts: the subject and the predicate. The subject is the topic or theme of the sentence, which tells of what the sentence is about. The predicate says something about the subject and bears the new information which the speaker wants to transmit to the listener. The subject is generally realized by a noun phrase or an equivalent of noun phrase, while the construction of the predicate, which is more complicated, generally consists of a verb phrase with or without complementation.The subject of a clause may be a compound noun phrase which is called a compound subject. For example: The boys and the girls are planning a dance.Fruit flies and ladybugs are insects.Joshua and Daniel got lost in the woods.Also the predicate of a clause may be a compound construction which is called a compound predicate. For example:Leah jumped on her bike and rode around the block.My friend lives in a green house and rides a red bicycle.I opened the magazine and began to read it quietly.Sometimes both subject and predicate are compound constructionsHer brother and her sister were very shy and were really hard persons to get to know.Cassandra and Jenny built a model airplane and painted it bright yellow.In English, there exists Double Predicate in grammar. This kind of predicate is usually transformed from more complicated deep-layer structure.For example:He left home a mere child and returned quite a different man.( the deep structure of this sentence is : He was a mere child when he left home, and he became quite a different man when he returned.)There are some similar structures:Everyone stood listening intently.The doctor sat reading a newspaper in the shade.A bird fell dead to the ground.He died beloved, revered, and mourned by millions of the working people.From the above examples, we can see that double predicate is different from compound predicate: double predicate is the fusion of two predicates, while compound predicate is the compound of two predicates.2) Two ways of sentence analysis:To facilitate description of how the English language works, sentences can be analysed in twoways. One way is to divide the predicate into predicate verb or predicator, object, complement and adverbial. These elements together with the subject make the five clause elements.Sentence│Clause││ │NP VP NP│ │ │Subject Predicate V erb Object││ │││ │ │ │ │All the men have done their best.The other way of sentence analysis is to divide the predicate into two parts: the operator and the predication. The operator is usually the auxiliary or the first auxiliary in a complex verb phrase, while the predication comprises the main verb with its complementation (object, complement or adverbial).Sentence│Clause│││Subject predicate│││││││ Operator Prediction│││││││││ All the men have done their best Operator usually refers to the auxiliary or the first auxiliary in a complex verb phrase.Do some exercises1.2 Basic clause type and their transformation and expansion :In terms of the different combinations of clause elements, English clauses can be classified into seven basic types. Innumerable authentic sentences are structured on the basis of these clause types. 1) Basic clause types :The seven basic clause types are SVC, SV, SV A, SVO, SVOA, SVOC, SV oO. These seven combinations of clause elements are wholly or largely determined by the main verb in the clause.The main verb in an SVC pattern is a linking or copula verb which must be followed by asubject complement.That car is mineThe main verb in an SV pattern is an intransitive verb which is not to be followed by any obligatory element except for a limited number of intransitive verbs which require an obligatory adverbial, thus constituting the pattern SV A.Everybody laughed.They stayed in a hotel.The main verb in an SVO pattern is a mono-transitive which must be followed by an object, and with some mono-transitives, the object must again be followed by an obligatory adverbial, thus constituting the pattern SVOAI want an English book.I put the book on the desk.The main verb in an SVOC pattern is a complex transitive verb which must be followed by an object + object complement.We made John our monitor.The main verb in a SV oO pattern is a di-transitive verb which is to be followed by two objects: indirect and direct object.I give him a letter.2) Transformation and expansion of basic clause types :The basic clause types are all affirmative statements with verbs in the active voice. An affirmative clause can be transformed into the negative; a statement into a question; and the active into the passive. All these add varieties to the basic clause types.The tourists have arrived.→Have the tourists arrived?→The tourists have not arrived.She give me some money.→Did she give him any money?→She didn’t give me any money.→He was given some money.→Some money was given to him.The basic clause types and their variants can also be expanded into larger grammatical units through adding modifiers at various levels, and these larger units can again be expanded through coordination and subordination into compound, complex and compound-complex sentences.Do some exercisesFIGURE: SENTENCE STRUCTUREIn contrast with the subject, there are few generalization that we can usefully make about the predicate since -- as our examples have illustrated –it tends to be a more complex and heterogeneous unit. We need to subdivide it into its elements or constituents. One division has already been suggested; this distinguishes AUXILIARY as OPERATOR and other parts as PREDICA TION. The distinctions may be illustrated as follows:sentencesubject predicate∶∶auxiliary predication∶and ∶∶operator ∶∶∶∶He had given the girl an apple.Had he given the girl an apple ?This particular division of the sentence helps us to understand, for example, how interrogative and negative sentences are formed, how certain adjuncts are positioned, and how certain types of emphasis are achieved.ILLUSTRATION : TYPES OF SETNENCE STRUCTUREBringing together the distinctions so far made, we can present some basic sentence-structure rules diagrammatically. Each line constitutes a pattern which is illustrated by means of a correspondingly numbered example having just those obligatory and optional (parenthesized) elements that are specified in the formula. The order in which the elements appear is common but by no means fixed. It is a principle of sentence organization that what is contextually familiar or ‘given’ comes to convey the greatest information is given the special prominence of ‘end-focus’.She is in London (now).She is a student (in London) (now).John heard the explosion (from his office) (when he waslocking the door). University (gradually) became famous (in Europe) (during the Middle Ages). They ate the meat (hungrily) (in their hut) (that night).He offered (her) some chocolates (politely) (outside the hall).They elected him chairman (without argument) (inWashington ) (thismorning).The train had arrived (quietly) (at the station) (before we noticed it). [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]Lecture 2 Subject-verb Concord ( I )Teaching Aims: Knowledge Aims：Subject-verb Concord (I)Skill Aims：Introduction: By subject-verb concord is meant agreementbetween subject and predicate verb in number.Emotion Aims：There are 3 principles guiding subject-verb concord: they areprinciples of grammatical concord, notional concord and proximity. Important points: Grammatical concord; Notional concord; ProximityDifficult points:Principle of ProximityLeading-in: Discussion1. What do you think you should learn in the 3 principles of concord?2. Why we have to study the 3 principles of concord ?3. What is the difference between English and Chinese?(i) In English there is subject-verb concord.(ii) In Chinese there is no.General information:There are 3 principles guiding subject-verb concord: they are principles ofgrammatical concord, notional concord and proximity-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Step 1 Subject-verb Concord ( I ) :By subject-verb concord is meant agreement between subject and predicate verb in number. Guiding principles: There are 3 principles guiding subject-verb concordStep II Guiding principles :There are 3 principles guiding subject-verb concord: they are principles of grammatical concord, notional concord and proximity.1)Grammatical concordThe principle of grammatical concord refers to the rule that the verb must match its subject in number. If the subject is plural, the verb should take the plural form; if on the other hand, the subject is singular or is a mass noun, the verb should take the singular form, e.g.:Both boys have their own merits.Every girl comes on time.Much effort is wasted.Difficulties arise when this principle comes into conflict with the other two principles: principle of notional concord and principle of proximity.2)Notional concordThe principle of notional concord refers to the rule that the verb can sometimes agree with the subject according to the notion of number rather than to the actual presence of the grammatical marker for that notion, e.g.:The government have asked the country to decide by vote.Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.3)ProximityThe principle of proximity denotes agreement of the verb with a closely preceding noun phrase in preference to agreement with the head of the noun phrase that functions as subject, e.g.:Either my brothers or my father is coming.No one except his own supporters agree with him.Neither Julia nor I am going.Note that grammatical concord is the basic principle, but when the subject is realized by a collective noun, a coordinate form or an expression of quantity, the other two principles will have to be considered.Step III Problems of concord with nouns ending in -s :There are quite a few nouns that end in –s but which are not countable. Some of these nouns are treated as singular, some as plural, and some either as singular or as plural. All this can be dealt with under the following headings.1)Disease and game names ending in –sNames of diseases ending in –s are mostly treated as singular, but there are a few such names (as measles and rickets) which can be used either as singular or as plural.Game names ending in –s are generally used as singular with the exception of cards which is usually treated as plural.2)Subject names ending in –icsNames of subjects ending in –ics are generally used as singular nouns, but some such nouns are treated as plural when used in other senses than subject names. Compare:Acoustics is the science of sound.The coustics in the new concert hall are faultless.Economics is a required course for all the students.The economics of the project are still being considered.3)Geographical names ending in –sGeographical names such as the names of archipelagos (islands), mountain ranges, straits and falls are generally used as plural, except for a few treated as singular when used as country names, e.g.:The Himalayas have a magnificent variety of plant and animal life.The Straits of Gibraltar have not lost their strategic importance.In earky January 1976, the Netherlands was hit by its worst storm since 1953.4)Other nouns ending in –sNames for things made of 2 parts such as scissors, pincers, etc., are usually used as plural. But when they are precede by such unit nouns as a pair of and two pairs of, the number form of the following verb is generally determined by the number marker of the unit noun.Step IV Problems of concord with collective nouns as subject :Collective nouns are singular in form but plural in meaning. The choice between grammatical and notional concord is mostly dictated by usage.1)Collective nouns usually used as pluralThese include people, police, cattle, militia, poultry, vermin, etc:The Chinese people are a great people.Domestic cattle provide us with milk, beef and hides.2)Collective nouns usually used as singularThese include foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise, etc:All the merchandise has arrived undamaged.All the machinery in the factory is made in China.3)Collective nouns used either as plural or as singularThere are collective nouns that can be used either as plural or as singular. The choice of the verb form following such nouns depends on the exact meaning of the noun in a specific context. When the noun is used in the sense of a collective as a whole, the verb takes the singular form. If , on the other hand, the noun is used in the sense of the individuals that make the collective, the verb takes the plural form. Compare:The anti-crime committee is to make its report tomorrow.The committee are divided in opinion about this problem.That group of soldiers is a top-notch fighting unit.That group of soldiers have the best ratings of individual performance.4) A committee of, etc + plural nounWhen a plural noun is preceded by a committee of / a board of / a panel of, the verb usually takes the singular form, e.g.:A committee of five men and three women is to consider the matter.The committee of directors is responsible for the management of the company.Lecture 3Subject-verb Concord ( II )Teaching Aims: The students will know about the problems of concord with a coordinate construction, a quantitative expression, or a nominal clause as subject Important points:Problems of concord with a coordinate subject; Problems of concord with expressions of quantity as subject; Other problems of subject-verb concord Difficult points:Other problems of subject-verb concordLeading-in: Discussion:(1) What do you think you should learn in the subject-verb concord?(2) Why we have to study the subject-verb concord?(3) What is the difference between English and Chinese?(i) In English there is subject-verb concord.(ii) In Chinese there is no subject-verb concord--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Step 1 Subject-verb Concord ( II ) :This lecture deals with problems of concord with a coordinate construction, a quantitative expression, or a nominal clause as subject.Step II Problems of concord with a coordinate subject :The following rules are to be observed in the case of a coordinate subject.1)Coordinate with …and‟ or …both . . . and‟Coordination by ‘and’ or ‘both . . . and’ is usually treated as plural when it refers to two or more than two persons / things, but it is treated as singular when it refers to only one person or thing. Compare:Both Pauline and Bob have gone fishing on Miramar Lake.Rain, hail, and wind have caused an estimated $22,000,000 damage to crops and livestock.The secretary and treasurer was absent from the meeting.Ham and eggs is a good breakfast.2)Coordinate with …or‟ / …either . . . or‟, …nor‟ / …neither . . . nor‟, …not only . . . butalso‟Here the problem of concord is generally dealt with according to the principle of proximity. But in informal style, items coordinated by ‘neither . . . nor’or ‘not only . . . but also’can sometimes be regarded as plural, e.g.:My sisters or my brother is likely to be at home.Either my father or my brothers are coming.Neither the players nor the coach was / (were) overconfident.Not only the switches but also the old writing has /( have) been changed.Step III Problems of concord with expressions of quality as subject :Quantitative expressions fall into two categories; definite and indefinite.1)Concord with expression of definite quantity as subject (P43)When a definite quantity is regarded as a single unit, the verb takes the singular form andwhen used in the sense of the individuals that constitute the quantity, the verb takes plural form. Compare:He thought that 65 dollars was not too much to ask.There were s silver dollars in each of the stockings.If the subject is ‘a fraction / percentage + of-phrase’, the form of the verb is determined by the noun in the of-phrase. A plural noun in the of-phrase is to be followed by a singular verb, e.g.:Over 60% of the city was destroyed in the war.Two-thirds of the swampland has been reclaimed for farming.Nearly 50% of the doctors are women.If the subject is an expression of ‘A plus / and B’ or A multiplied by B’, the verb can either take the singular or the plural form. If, on the other hand, the subject is one of ‘A minus B’ or A divided by B’, the verb can only be singular, e.g.:Seven plus / and five (7 + 5) makes / make twelve.Forty minus fifteen (40 – 15 ) leaves twenty-five.Five times eight (5×8) is / are forty.Forty divided by eight (40÷8) is five.If the subject is a noun phrase composed of ‘one in / out of + plural noun’, the verb takes the singular form in formal style, but in informal style it can be plural, e.g.:One in ten students has / have failed the exam.One out of twenty was / were badly damaged.2)Concord with expression of indefinite quantity as subject (P44)When the subject is a noun phrase composed of ‘all of . . . , some of . . . , none of . . . , half of . . . , most of . . . , etc’, the number of the verb is determined by the noun in the of-phrase. This is also true of ‘lots of, heaps of, loads of, scads of, plenty of + noun’, e.g.:All of the cargo was lost.All of the crew were saved.Lots of food is going to waste.Lots of people are waiting outside.When the subject is a noun preceded by ‘a portion of, a series of, a pile of, a panel of,’ the verb invariably takes the singular form, whatever the forms of the noun. Likewise, when the subject is a noun, singular or plural, preceded by ‘a kind / sort / type of’ is preceded by these / those and followed by a plural noun, the verb should be plural, e.g.:A substantial portion of the reports is missing.A series of accidents has been reported.This kind of man annoys me.That type of car is old-fashioned.These sort of machines are up to date.If the subject is a noun phrase composed of ‘many a + noun’ or ‘more than one + noun’, this kind of noun phrase, though notionally plural, is treated as singular.Many a man has done his duty.More than one game was lost.If the subject is a plural noun preceded by ‘an average of / a majority of’, the verb form is determined by the notion of the noun phrase; if the noun head is the word ‘average / majority’, the verb should be singular; if the head is the plural noun, the verb should be plural. Compare:An average of 25 applications a month is not unusual.An average of 25 persons apply each month.Step IV Other problems of sublect-verb concord :There are other problems of subject-verb concord that are worth mentioning.1)Problems of concord with a nominal clause as subjectWhen the subject is a nominal clause introduced by what, who, which, how, why, whether, etc, the verb usually takes the singular form. But when two or more such clauses are coordinated by and or both . . . and, a plural verb is required, e.g.:What caused the accident is complete mystery.What caused the accident and who was responsible for it remain a mystery to us.In SVC constructions with a what-clause as subject, the verb usually takes the singular form. But when the subject complement is plural, or when the what-clause is plural in meaning, the verb of the main clause can be plural, e.g.:What was real to him were the details of his life.What are often regarded as poisonous fungi are sometimes safely edible.2)Subject-verb concord with a non-finite clause as subjectWhen the subject is a noun-finite clause, the verb of the main clause usually takes the singular form. But when two or more such clauses are coordinated by and, the verb of the main clause tales the singular form when the subject refers to one thing, and the plural form when the subject refers to separate things, e.g.:To climb mountains requires courage.Playing tennis is a very good exercise.Compare:Reading Ibsen and solving a quadratic equation are entirely different assignments.3)Subject-verb concord in relative clausesIn the construction of ‘one of+ plural noun + relative clause’, the principle of grammatical concord is generally observed. Sometimes, especially in British English, in order to lay emphasis on ‘one’, the verb also take the singular form. When ‘one’ is preceded by ‘the’ or ‘the only’, theverb can only be singular. Compare:Joan is one of those people who go out of their way to be helpful.Jasper White is one of those rare people who believes in ancient myths.He is the only one of those boys who is willing to take on another assignment.4)Subject-verb concord in cleft-sentencesIn cleft-sentences, subject-verb concord in that / who-clause is generally determined by the number of the focal element functioning as subject in the clause. There is one point that should be noted: when the focal element is ‘I’, the verb TO BE in the following who- / that-clause usually agrees with ‘I’ in both person and number; if, on the other hand, the focal element is ‘me’ instead of ‘I’, the verb TO BE in the following who- / that-clause should take the third person singular number, e.g.:It is I who am to blame.It is me that is to blame.5)Subject-verb concord in existential sentences(P51)In existential sentences, subject-verb concord is generally determined by the number of the ‘notional subject’, but in informal style, especially in spoken language, the verb often agrees with the ‘formal subject’ and takes the singular form, even though the notional subject is plural. When the notional subject is a coordinate construction, the verb form goes with the first coordinate element of the notional subject, singular or plural, e.g.:There is a note left on the desk.There are three routes you can take.There’s more grace and less carelessness.There’s a long springboard, and rafts at varying distances from the shore。