巧用集合辨各类“许多”

在高中英语学习的过程中，我们经常会碰到一些修饰名词的“许多”，如many，a great number of, a lot of, a large amount of , a large quantity of 等。由于需记忆的条目比较多，学生往往混淆各种“许多”的规范用法。通过高中数学的集合概念对此语法现象进行简单梳理。

【形象归类】

修饰可数名词的量词集合与修饰不可数名词的量词集合相交便得可修饰两者的量词集合。如图：

【重点突破】

1. 主谓一致

① a quantity of后既可接复数可数名词，亦可接不可数名词。在它们分别和其后的名词构成短语作主语时，其谓语动词通常看of后名词的具体情况而采用单数或复数形式。如果是接不可数名词，则谓语动词用单数形式；如果是接复数可数名词，则谓语动词通常要采用复数形式。

② quantities of后既可接复数可数名词，亦可接不可数名词，后面的谓语动词都用复数形式。例如：

A large quantity of cotton was sent here.

Large quantities of cotton were sent here. 大量的棉花被送到这里。

类似的结构有：a large amount of修饰不可数名词，后谓语动词用单数；large amounts of修饰不可数名词，谓语动词用复数。例如：

A large amount of money was spent on the bridge.

Large amounts of money were spent on the bridge. 大量的钱被花在了这个桥梁上。

2. 易混辨析（一言辨异）

① a number of & the number of （修饰可数名词）

The number of the people invited was fifty, but a number of them were not seen at the meeting. 参加会议的人数是50，但是有一些人没有在会议上看见。

② an amount of & the amount of （修饰不可数名词）

An amount of coal has been carried there. And the amount of it isn’t clear. 一些煤已经被运往那里，具体的数量还不清楚。

【经典回顾】

例1 Large quantities of cotton ______ shipped all over the world already while a large quantity of bamboo baskets ______ going to be exported to some western countries.

A. have been; is B. has been; are C. have been; are D. has been; is

解析 答案为C。本句是一个并列句，第一个简单句主语是large quantities of cotton，其中心词是quantities，是复数，谓语动词用复数形式。while表转折，第二个简单句主语a large quantity of bamboo baskets的中心词是bamboo baskets，因此谓语动词也要用复数形式。

例2 The number of foreign experts who _______ working in this city _______ reached 120 since 1999.

A. is; has B. has; is C. are; have D. are; has

解析 答案为D。本题考查定语从句和主谓一致。定语从句who are working in this city来修饰先行词foreign experts；主句主语是 the number，故谓语动词用单数，又因时间状语是since 1999，所以用完成时态。

【现场练兵】

1. ―There is no doubt that it is impossible for so _____ workers to do so ______ work in a single day.

―I can’t agree more.

A. few; much B. few; many C. little; much D. little; many

2. It was Jack that spent ______ money in building his new garden last year.

A. a great deal B. a good deal of C. the number of D. a large number of

3. He possesses ______ books about computers, most of which are written in French.

A. plenty of B. large amounts of C. a great deal of D. a large amount of

4. Believe it or not, ______ increases every year as natural habitats disappear.

A. the amount of endangered species

B. the quantity of endangering species

C. the number of endangered species

D. the majority of endangering species

5. ―It’s said that ______ number of volunteers are assisting those people living in the earthquake-hit area.

―Yes, ________ number of volunteers is surprising.

A. a；the B. a；a C. the；the D. the；a

6. As a result of destroying the forests, a large ______ of desert ______ covered the land.

A. number；has B. quantity；has C. number；have D. quantity；have

Keys：1~6 A B A C A B