a quantity of 谓语

a quantity of+可数名词复数、谓语动词用复数;+不可数名词、谓语动词用单数.即修饰可数或不可数名词均可,作主语时采取就近一致的原则,其谓语动词通常与短语中of后面的名词的数保持一致.

(1)a quantity of+可数名词复数，作主语，谓语用复数

A large quantity of flowers were heaped on the martyr’s tomb.

(2)a quantity of+不可数名词单数，作主语，谓语用单数

A large quantity of beer was consumed.Quantities of food were on the table.

特别备注：

A:a large quantity of+不可数名词，作主语，谓语用单数

船里有大量的鱼肉。

There is a large quantity of fish in the boat.

B:a large quantity of+可数名词复数，作主语，谓语用复数

印刷了大量的书。

Alarge quantity of books were printed.

C:(large)quantities of可以数名词复数/不可数名词单数，作主语，谓语都用复数

A:quantities of+不可数名词单数

这个镇去年浪费了大量的水。

Quantities of water were wasted in this town last year.

B:quantities of+可数名词复数

就在圣诞节以前还有过许多购买东西的顾客。

There were large quantities of shoppers just before Christmas.

可有的语法书上说a quantity of后不论接什么名词，谓语用单数。quantities of后无论接什么名词，谓语用复数。纠结中。

继续跟踪回答如下：

（特别备注：表示“大量”的有两种形式:a large quantity of和large quantities of。a quantity of接不可数名词时,谓语动词用单数形式,接可数名词复数时,谓语动词用复数形式;quantities of无论是修饰不可数名词,还是可数名词复数,谓语动词都要用复数形式。）