25个重要集合名词用法详解

14. majority的用法

(1) the majority表示“大多数”时，为集合名词；单独用作主语时，其谓语可用单数（视为整体）或复数（考虑其个体）。如：

The majority has [have] seen the film. 多数人看过这部电影。

The majority was [were] in favour of banning smoking. 大多数人支持禁烟。

但是若单独用的 the majority后跟有复数表语，则谓语通常要用复数。如：

The majority are young people. 大多数是年轻人。

(2) 用于“the majority of+复数名词”且用作主语时，其谓语动词通常用复数。如：

The majority of our employees are women. 我们的雇员大多数是女性。

The majority of men earn their living by manual labour. 大多数人是以体力劳动为生。

但用于单数也是可能的（即将主语视为一个整体）。如：

The majority of students were [was] indifferent to the political meeting. 大多数学生对政治集会漠不关心。

(3) 按传统语法，the majority of只用于修饰可数名词复数或具有复数意义的集合名词，但在现代英语中也可用于修饰不可数名词，此时若用作主语，谓语动词用单数。如：

The majority of my work is done in the office. 我的大部分工作是在办公室里干的。

The vast majority of alcohol metabolism occurs in the liver. 酒精的代射主要在肝脏。

(3) the majority of习惯上带定冠词，有时也可用不定冠词。如：

A majority of visitors have arrived. 大多数参观者已经到了。

A clear majority of voters were in favour of the motion. 绝大多数选民赞成这一动议。

A [The] majority of people seem to prefer TV to radio. 大部分人似乎喜欢看电视而不喜欢听收音机。

15. management的用法

(1) management的意思是“管理层”“管理人员”“资方”，为集合名词；用作主语时，谓语动词可用单数（视为整体）或复数（考虑其个体）。如：

The management is not responsible for articles left in customers’ cars.  管理人员对于留在顾客车内的东西概不负责。

The management are looking for ways of improving productivity. 管理部门正在设法提高生产率。

The management is [are] having talks with the workers. 资方正在与工人谈话。

有时其前可以不用冠词。如：

Management [The management] is [are] considering closing the factory. 主管部门正在考虑把工厂关闭。

(2) 若只是表示“管理”，则表示单数意义。如：

Poor management has sunk the project. 管理不善导致了这个项目失败。

School management is often too detached from the classroom. 学校管理往往太脱离课堂。

16. military的用法

military的意思是“军队”“武装力量”，通常要连用定冠词；用作主语时，谓语动词通常用复数，但有时也用单数。如：

As the police could not keep order in the city, the military were called in to help. 由于警察无法维持城里的秩序，军队被召去加以协助。

The military does not have the weapons it needs to defeat the rebels. 军方没有击败叛军所需的武器。