half of...is/are

half of + 名词(或代词)充当主语时,其谓语动词的数与 half 本身无关,而决定于 half of 之后的名词(或代词)的数。名词为单数,谓语动词用单数,名词为复数,谓语动词用复数。这样用,既符合“接近原则”,又符合“概念一致原则”,但是不符合语法一致原则。请看下面摘自英文原著的实例:

1. Half of the land is cultivated. (Wood) 这些土地有一半已耕种。

2. Half of it was damaged. (LDCE) 它的一半受到了损坏。

3. Half of that was assumed to represent damage to houses and their contents, but what was good news in the Wall Street Journal (“The insurance industry is expected to escape serious financial harm”) was not so reassuring to the people whose property it was. (NEWSWEEK) 人们认为那个数字中有一半代表着房屋及室内财产的损失，但是《华尔街日报》刊登的所谓好消息（“预料保险业将避免重大的经济损失”）对于那些遭受财产损失的人们来说并不那么令人感到宽慰。（新闻周刊）

4. Half of the books have been placed on the shelves. (CGEL) 这些书有一半已放在书架上了。

5. Half of them are here. (LDCE) 他们之中有一半已在这里。

6. It is supposed that about half of the varieties of fish living in the dark depths of the ocean have some power of illumination. 人们认为,生活在海洋黑暗的深处的鱼大约有一半具有某种发光的能力。