Ask Learn闻问切英语口语:There is/ are
读者 Jo Chan 问:下面两句,哪一句对?
There is a library, a swimming pool and a computer room in my school.
There are a library, a swimming pool and a computer room in my school.
英语语法有一条基本的规则,动词和名词的数目要配合(verb and noun agreement) ,如果名词是单数,动词也是单数;名词是众数,动词也跟着是众数。
Jo 提出的句子,补语由三个名词组成:a library、a swimming pool、a computer room,属众数,按照上面的文法规则,动词也应该是众数。因此两句当中,第二句才是对的。
但有不少人,包括母语是英语的人,看到第一个单数的名词(a library),而用了 is ,没有顾及继之而来的 a swimming pool 和 a computer room。这显然是错的。
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