Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasySubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Read the sentence below:
'Neither of the two applicants _____ suitable for the managerial position.'

Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

  1. isAnswer
  2. B
    are
  3. C
    were
  4. D
    have been

Answer

The correct verb form is 'is'.
The sentence requires a singular present-tense verb to agree with the head subject 'Neither', which is a singular indefinite pronoun. Therefore, 'is' is the grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The subject is the indefinite pronoun 'Neither'.
The phrase 'of the two applicants' is a prepositional modifier and does not function as the head of the subject.
2
Determine the number of the subject 'Neither'.
'Neither' is grammatically singular when referring to one or the other of two items.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'neither', 'either', and 'each' require singular agreement in formal standard English.
3
Select the verb form that agrees with the singular subject.
'is' is chosen.
The singular verb 'is' correctly pairs with the singular subject 'Neither'.

Key Concept

Indefinite Pronoun Concord
Rate this question

Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

More questions from this topic