Standard English ConventionsMediumAgreement with neither-nor
Standard English Conventions practice question
Neither the deckhands nor the ____ aware that the chart predated the new sandbar by a decade.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. wasCorrect
- B. were
- C. have been
- D. are
Answer: A. was
With 'neither…nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject — the singular 'captain' — so 'was.'
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. were
- 'Were' would agree with a plural nearer subject, but 'captain' is singular.
- C. have been
- 'Have been' is plural and the wrong fit for the singular 'captain.'
- D. are
- 'Are' is plural and present tense; the sentence is a past account.
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