老师：有个问题想向您请教，我查了很多参考书但说法都不一致就是a variety of 和varieties of 后面接可数名词的复数或不可数名词后面的单复数怎么确定? 谢谢！还有和the variety of有什么区别？
答：1）首先,a variety of 和 varieties of 的用法是一样的，只是样子不一样罢了。正如，a lot of 和 lots of 一样。
2）二者即可修饰可数也可修饰不可数名词。
3）作主语时，后面谓语动词的单复数要根据of后的名词单复数而定。如a variety of (或varieties of )books后面要用are，因为中心词始终是books，不要被前面的修饰词迷惑。
4）a variety of是“多种多样的……”或 “一种…”，the variety of的意思是“…品种, 种类”；
而varieties of的意思是“多种多样的…；各种…”eg.
1.a variety of + 可数名词复数形式，谓语动词用复数; a variety of + 不可数名词，谓语动词用单数。
1) A variety of food is sold at a supermarket.  超级市场各式各样的食物均有出售。
2) Many varieties of natural soaps of are sold in the market.
3) We’re going to grow a new variety of wheat this year. 今年我们要种植一种新品种的小麦。
2．varieties of + 复数形式，谓语动词用复数
1) New Varieties of Food Additives, which were deliberated ......
2) New Varieties of food has not yet been found by human.
3. the variety of的意思是“…品种, 种类”
1) The variety of goods in this shop is rich. 这家商店的货物品种丰富。
2) Varieties of books are being sold at this bookshop.