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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Neither of the project proposals submitted by the foreign consultants _____ approved during yesterday's executive board meeting.

Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence above?

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

Answer

The correct form is 'was' because the singular indefinite pronoun 'Neither' is the true head subject of the sentence.
The sentence requires the singular past-tense verb 'was' to agree with the head subject 'Neither'. In formal English grammar, indefinite pronouns such as 'neither', 'either', and 'each' remain singular head subjects regardless of any plural nouns contained within modifying prepositional phrases.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the true head subject of the sentence
The subject is the indefinite pronoun 'Neither', which is grammatically singular when followed by 'of'.
Prepositional phrases like 'of the project proposals submitted by the foreign consultants' act as post-modifiers and do not change the singular nature of the subject.
2
Determine the required verb number and tense
A singular past-tense verb is required.
The singular subject demands a singular verb, and the temporal marker 'yesterday' specifies past tense.
3
Select the correct option matching these criteria
The verb form 'was' satisfies both singular subject agreement and simple past tense.
'was' is the past-tense singular form of the auxiliary verb 'to be'.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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