Frequently Asked Questions On Grammar: Episode 01

 

 ◼️ Question: 

Which one  is correct and common in usage ?

Neither they nor he is going to play cricket.

Or, 

Neither they nor he are going to play cricket.

(??)

📝 Answer :
In this case, according to the opinions of most of the experts, the verb should agree with the closest subject (noun, pronoun etc.)

OK, then which one  is correct and more common? 📝

Correct version is - Neither they nor he is going to play cricket.

But the better version is - Neither he nor they are going to play cricket.

When there are two or more subjects, verb should be used according to the subject closest to that verb:

Neither my brother nor my sister was guilty. (Not were!)

Neither Michael nor his friends are going there tonight. (Not is!)


If the sentence has both a plural and a singular subject (noun/pronoun) joined, 

it is better to place/use the plural subject close to the verb  to avoid controversy and inaccuracy.

Neither I nor my friends have ever gone to the cinema hall. (Not has!)


↪️ Again there are opinions that when a plural and a singular subject is joined and once a plural comes first, the use of  either plural or singular verb is possible. 

Both usages are correct.

Neither his parents nor he was at home. 

Neither his parents nor he were at home. 

☑️ But it's better to use -
Neither he nor his brothers were in Bangladesh.