我最近在校稿研究论文时，发现有些作者常搞不清楚两个语法问题。我想借由这期的文章，将这两个问题提出来与大家讨论。
动词单数／动词复数
在书写复杂的句子时，作者常常容易搞混主语，因而使用错误的谓语动词形态。举例而言：
The ultimate effect of all of these phone calls to the detectives were to make them suspicious of the callers.
句中主语是the effect，对应的谓语动词应为单数，所以were的使用是错误的。不妨精简例句如下：
The effect… was to make them suspicious.
如此，句子的主干就一目了然。
另一种容易混淆谓语形态的情形是当连接词存在时，如along with、as well as、together with等。例如：
Miss Chen, as well as her pet dachshund, is coming to the party.
当出现连接词as well as时，谓语动词的形态要跟as well as前的主语一致。
在任何请况下，以and连接的复合主语，谓语皆为复数，即使主语本身为单数名词或不可数名词。例如：
Widespread mold and mildew damage the resale value of your house.
句中，虽然主语mold/mould和mildew（霉菌）均为不可数名词，但以and连接时，是谓语damage因为复数形态。
当我们在引述一作品名称时，若名称中有复数名词，但因它是单一作品，我们仍须使用单数谓语动词。举例来说：
“Great Expectations” has the original illustrations in it。
金额与时间段通常是单数。例如：
Ten dollars is not a lot of money to lend someone.
与
Five years is a long time to wait to be repaid。
模糊的指代
模糊的指代是英语中常见的问题，尤其当代词this、it、which或其他此类代名词使用不当时。举例来说：
I hitchhiked back to town, got picked up by an alien spacecraft and was subjected to humiliating medical experiments, which is why I didn't get my paper done on time。
在日常对话中，这样的说话方式似乎没有问题，但在写作时请务必小心。建议不妨将用because做为句首：
Because I hitchhiked back to town, got picked up by an alien spacecraft and was subjected to humiliating medical experiments, which is why I didn't get my paper done on time.
或者将which is why改成so，变成：
I hitchhiked back to town, got picked up by an alien spacecraft and was subjected to humiliating medical experiments, so I didn't get my paper done on time。
有时，代词的使用只是一种口语习惯，其实是不必要的。例如：
In the book it says that Shakespeare was in love with some “dark lady”.
句中it是不必要的，且在正式英语写作中是不被接受的，应直接以the book做主语：
The book says that Shakespeare was in love with some “dark lady”。
模糊的指代可能因为有多个指代而含糊不清。举例：
Most women are attracted to guys with a good sense of humor unless they are into practical jokes.
这里的they指的是women还是guys呢？如果句子改成：
Most women are attracted to guys with a good sense of humor, though not usually to practical jokers.
则一目了然。
