Direction: Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select 'No substitution'. Neither John nor Simon are coming to the meeting.
is coming to the meeting
Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement with Neither... Nor
The question asks us to find the correct way to complete the sentence "Neither John nor Simon are coming to the meeting." We need to look at the underlined part "are coming to the meeting" and see if it needs to be changed to make the sentence grammatically correct. This involves understanding subject-verb agreement, especially when using the conjunction "neither... nor".
When a sentence uses "neither... nor" to connect two subjects, the verb must agree with the subject that is closest to the verb. In the given sentence, the two subjects are "John" and "Simon". The verb phrase is "are coming". The subject closest to the verb phrase is "Simon".
Let's look at the subjects:
- Subject 1: John (Singular)
- Subject 2: Simon (Singular)
The subject closest to the verb is "Simon", which is a singular noun. Therefore, the verb should also be singular. The singular form of the verb "to be coming" in the present continuous tense is "is coming". The plural form is "are coming".
So, the correct verb form should be "is coming".
Analyzing the Options for Subject-Verb Agreement
Let's examine the given options based on the rule of subject-verb agreement with "neither... nor":
-
were coming to the meeting
This option uses the past continuous tense verb "were coming". "Were" is a plural verb. Since the closest subject "Simon" is singular, a singular verb is needed. So, this option is incorrect.
-
No substitution
The original sentence uses "are coming". "Are" is a plural verb. As explained above, the verb should be singular to agree with the closest subject "Simon". Therefore, the original sentence is grammatically incorrect, and a substitution is needed. So, this option is incorrect.
-
are coming to meeting
This option uses the present continuous tense verb "are coming". "Are" is a plural verb. The closest subject "Simon" is singular, requiring a singular verb. Additionally, it omits the article "the" before "meeting", which is usually required in this context. So, this option is incorrect.
-
is coming to the meeting
This option uses the present continuous tense verb "is coming". "Is" is a singular verb. This agrees with the closest subject "Simon", which is singular. The phrase "to the meeting" is also grammatically correct. So, this option is the most appropriate substitute.
Correcting the Sentence with Proper Verb Form
Based on the analysis, the correct verb form is "is coming". Substituting the underlined segment with this option gives the sentence: "Neither John nor Simon is coming to the meeting." This sentence follows the subject-verb agreement rule for "neither... nor".
| Rule for "Neither... Nor" | Example |
|---|---|
| The verb agrees with the subject closest to it. | Neither the students nor the teacher is ready. (Teacher is singular, so use 'is') |
| Neither the teacher nor the students are ready. (Students are plural, so use 'are') | |
| If both subjects are singular, the verb is singular. | Neither Mary nor Jane is going. |
| If both subjects are plural, the verb is plural. | Neither the dogs nor the cats are in the house. |
| If one is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the closer subject. | Neither the parents nor the child is sleeping. |
| Neither the child nor the parents are sleeping. |
Revision Table: Subject-Verb Agreement
Reviewing key points about subject-verb agreement is crucial for improving grammar skills.
- A singular subject takes a singular verb. (e.g., He runs)
- A plural subject takes a plural verb. (e.g., They run)
- With "neither... nor", the verb agrees with the noun closest to it.
- Common singular verbs include: is, was, has, does, runs, writes.
- Common plural verbs include: are, were, have, do, run, write.
Additional Information: Correlative Conjunctions
"Neither... nor" is an example of correlative conjunctions. These are pairs of conjunctions used to connect words, phrases, or clauses. Other common correlative conjunctions include:
- Both... and
- Either... or
- Not only... but also
- Whether... or
Subject-verb agreement rules vary slightly depending on the specific correlative conjunction used. For "either... or" and "not only... but also", the rule is the same as "neither... nor": the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.
Understanding these conjunctions helps in constructing complex sentences correctly and ensuring proper subject-verb agreement.
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Important Questions from Phrase Replacement
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
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You should to read the newspaper regularly if you want to be well-informed.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
If he had listening to me he would not have got lost.
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He asked for a bank loan also he didn't have sufficient resources.
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I went to the shop to buy some stationeries .
