Question

Choose the correct verb to fill the blank Neither the leader nor his followers ________ present.

• A. is
• B. was
• C. were
• D. has

Hint:

When a compound subject is connected with "nor," the verb should agree with the noun closest to it.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the subject.
The subject "Neither the leader nor his followers" is a compound subject, where the first noun "leader" is singular and the second noun "followers" is plural. According to subject-verb agreement rules, when the subject is joined by "nor," the verb should agree with the noun closest to it. In this case, "followers" is plural.

Step 2: Using the correct verb form.
Since "followers" is plural, the correct verb form is "were."

Step 3: Conclusion.
Thus, the correct verb is "were."

Final Answer: were.