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

Either...Or / Neither...Nor

~2 min readUpdated October 7, 20260 practice exercises
English

Subject–Verb Agreement: Either...Or / Neither...Nor

🗺️ GRAMMAR MAP

Either...Or

Neither...Nor

Singular vs. Plural

📖 1. The Core Rules & Patterns

Either ➔ Either...Or
The cat or the dog is playing.
💡 Why: When using either...or, the verb agrees with the nearest subject, which is singular here (the dog).
Either ➔ Either...Or
The teacher or the students are going on a trip.
💡 Why: Here, the verb is plural because the nearest subject (the students) is plural.
Neither ➔ Neither...Nor
Neither the cat nor the dog is hungry.
💡 Why: In this case, the verb is singular because neither...nor connects two singular subjects.
Neither ➔ Neither...Nor
Neither the teacher nor the students are in class.
💡 Why: The verb is plural here because the nearest subject (the students) is plural.

🎯 2. Real-Life Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: At School

Either the teacher or the students are presenting their projects.

Scenario 2: At Home

Neither my brother nor my sister is interested in cooking.

Scenario 3: Shopping

Either the apples or the oranges are on sale.

⚠️ 3. Common Mistakes

❌ Incorrect

  • Neither the cat nor the dogs is sleeping.
  • Either the teacher or the students is going on a trip.
  • Neither the apples nor the orange are ripe.

✅ Correct

  • Neither the cat nor the dogs are sleeping.
  • Either the teacher or the students are going on a trip.
  • Neither the apples nor the orange is ripe.
💡 Explanation: The verb must agree with the nearest subject in either...or and neither...nor constructions.

❓ 4. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What if both subjects are plural?

A: The verb will still agree with the nearest subject.

Q2: Can I use either...or with more than two subjects?

A: Yes, but the verb will still agree with the nearest subject.

Other Subject–Verb Agreement lessons

Basic Agreement

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