Neither the teacher nor the students was present. (2022)

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Question: Neither the teacher nor the students was present. (2022)

Options:

Correct Answer: Neither the teacher nor the students were present.

Exam Year: 2022

Solution:

When \'neither/nor\' is used, the verb agrees with the nearest subject, which is \'students\' (plural).

Neither the teacher nor the students was present. (2022)

Neither the teacher nor the students was present. (2022)

Step 1: Identify the subjects in the sentence. The subjects are 'the teacher' and 'the students'.
Step 2: Note that 'neither/nor' is used to connect the subjects.
Step 3: Determine which subject is closest to the verb 'was'. In this case, 'students' is the nearest subject.
Step 4: Check the number of the nearest subject. 'Students' is plural.
Step 5: Since 'students' is plural, the verb should also be plural. Therefore, the correct verb form is 'were' instead of 'was'.
Step 6: Rewrite the sentence correctly: 'Neither the teacher nor the students were present.'

Subject-Verb Agreement with Neither/Nor – When using 'neither/nor', the verb should agree with the nearest subject in number.