Choose the correct verb: Either the teacher or the students ____ mistaken.
Correct answer: B. are
- A. is
- B. are
- C. was
- D. has been
Explanation
With either or and neither nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it, and here that is students, which is plural. Reversing the order to either the students or the teacher would require is instead. This proximity rule is a favourite examination point.
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About Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement requires the verb to match the true subject in number and person, even when other words intervene. Questions cover collective nouns, compound subjects, indefinite pronouns, either and neither, relative clauses, quantities and inverted sentences, where proximity can falsely suggest the wrong verb.
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