主名词与次名词一致问题简议

sunmengsi

所谓主名词是指句子中的主要名词而言，次名词是指句子中的次要名词而言。主名词与次名词有多种多样的语法关系。有时主名词是主语，次名词是表语；有时主名词是主语，次名词是宾语；有时次名词则置于修饰主名词的短语中，用作定语。
如：A family is a social unit consisting of parents and the children that they rear.
One person’s income is his annual receipts .(次名次receipts可以为复形名词)
This guard blew his whistle, and the train began to move.
Misfortune makes strange bedfellows.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

这里，主要谈次名词作定语的情况。一般说来，次名词用作定语时，多是单数名词，可据不同语义，表零念、单念或复念。如：a fishing ground, a spirit bottle（次名词在此表零念，为不可数名词），a train ticket, a bus-stop, a name list, etc.但这并不绝对。

实际上，次名词用作定语时，有时不用单数，而用复数。现在，用复数次名词作定语越来越多，这也许是因为复数名词比单数名词更为生动、具体的缘故。复数名词也可表零念、单念和复念。如：a brain(s) trust, electronics industries (electronics 只有复数)，the united states government, the downstairs room, a head quarters ship, arms rack, a buildings program, a communications network, the Nationalities Cultural Palace; 此外，在官方正式英语中也常用复数名词作定语。如：the Contagious Diseases act, the Prices Bureau, the Diplomatic Services Bureau, etc.

thanks for your post.