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Grammar Exercises✅ Subject–Verb AgreementEither...Or / Neither...Nor
B2Subject–Verb Agreement

Either...Or / Neither...Nor

~4 min readUpdated July 30, 20260 practice exercises
English
🗺️ EITHER...OR / NEITHER...NOR AGREEMENT GRAMMAR MAP
RULE OF PROXIMITY (Verb matches closest subject)

The verb MUST agree with the subject closest to it!

(+) Positive Neither John nor his FRIENDS ARE here • Neither his friends nor JOHN IS here
(-) Negative incorrect verb matching breaks agreement
(?) Question Is either Mary or her sisters coming?
CORRELATIVE PAIRINGS (Either...Or / Neither...Nor)

Either pairs with OR | Neither pairs with NOR.

(+) Positive Either tea or coffee • Neither rain nor shine
(-) Negative either... nor (WRONG!)
(?) Question Did either John or Peter call?

1. Form & Structure

Proximity Rule & Agreement Examples Matrix

  • Plural Subject Closer → PLURAL Verb: Neither the manager nor the employees ARE satisfied. (employees is plural → ARE).
  • Singular Subject Closer → SINGULAR Verb: Neither the employees nor the manager IS satisfied. (manager is singular → IS).
  • Question Form Agreement: Are either the parents or the teacher attending? → In questions, verb is at front, agreeing with first subject!
  • Either of / Neither of + Plural Noun: Neither of my brothers is / are married. (Singular is preferred in formal writing).
Example / Question Positive / Short Answer Negative / Short Answer
Neither A nor B (B = plural) Neither John nor his brothers WERE there. Verb agrees with "brothers" (WERE)
Neither A nor B (B = singular) Neither his brothers nor John WAS there. Verb agrees with "John" (WAS)
Either A or B (B = singular) Either the students or the teacher IS wrong. Verb agrees with "teacher" (IS)

2. Key Rules & Formation

Rule Base / Standard Form Applied Form
Rule of Proximity When subjects are joined by either...or / neither...nor, the verb MUST agree with the subject CLOSER to the verb! Neither he nor THEY ARE... vs Neither they nor HE IS...
Correlative Pair Matching NEVER mix the pairs! Either goes with OR. Neither goes with NOR. Either...OR vs Neither...NOR
Formal Singular for "Neither of" In formal English tests, "Neither of + plural noun" takes a SINGULAR verb. Neither of the options IS correct.

3. Practical Usage & Examples

1. Ensuring grammatical accuracy in formal writing and exams

Avoid subject-verb agreement errors in academic tests like SAT, IELTS, TOEFL.

  • Neither the director nor the actors were available for comments.

2. Presenting binary choices cleanly

Offer two mutually exclusive choices.

  • Either you apologize or I will leave.

3. Rejecting two possibilities simultaneously

Eliminate two potential options in a single structured sentence.

  • Neither the phone nor the tablet was working properly.

4. Signal Words & Usage Context

either...orneither...norrule of proximityneither ofsubject-verb agreement
Proximity Check:
  • Look at the subject CLOSEST to the verb!
  • Closest = Singular → IS/WAS/V-s
  • Closest = Plural → ARE/WERE/V1

💡 Common Mistakes & Memory Tips

  • Mistake 1: Matching verb to the first subject instead of the closest subject
    ❌ Incorrect: Neither the teacher nor the students is here.
    ✓ Correct: Neither the teacher nor the students ARE here.
    Note: The verb must agree with the closest subject (students).
  • Mistake 2: Mixing either with nor
    ❌ Incorrect: Either Tom nor Mary will help.
    ✓ Correct: Either Tom or Mary will help.
    Note: Either pairs with OR.
  • Mistake 3: Using a negative verb with "neither...nor"
    ❌ Incorrect: Neither John nor Mary didn't come.
    ✓ Correct: Neither John nor Mary came.
    Note: Neither...nor is already negative; do not add "didn't".

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What happens in a question with either...or (e.g., Is/Are either John or his friends coming)?

In a question, the auxiliary verb comes FIRST, so it agrees with the FIRST subject: "IS either JOHN or his friends coming?" (John is singular → IS).

Q2: Is "Neither of them are..." acceptable in casual spoken English?

Yes! In informal conversation, people often say "Neither of them ARE coming". However, in formal writing and exams, ALWAYS use singular "IS": "Neither of them IS coming".

Q3: Can either...or join complete clauses?

Yes! E.g., "Either YOU MUST APOLOGIZE, or I WILL REPORT THIS TO THE POLICE."

Other Subject–Verb Agreement lessons

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