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Choose the correct sentence/option in which the subjects and verbs agree.
  • a)
    Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results.
  • b)
    Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results.
  • c)
    Neither she nor they was willing to predict, the election results.
  • d)
    Neither she nor they were willing to predict, the election results.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Zara Khan answered
Explanation:

Subject-Verb agreement is an essential aspect of grammar which deals with the correct usage of the verb according to the subject in a sentence. In order to maintain the grammatical accuracy of the sentence, it is essential to use the correct form of the verb that agrees with the subject.

In the given sentence, "Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results," the subject is "neither she nor they," which is a compound subject. The verb used in this sentence is "were willing," which is the plural form of the verb "to be willing." Here, the verb "were" agrees with the compound subject "she" and "they" which are both plural.

On the other hand, if we use the verb "was" instead of "were," it will make the sentence incorrect. For example, "Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results." Here, the verb "was" is singular, but the subject is a compound subject, which is plural, so it creates a subject-verb disagreement.

Let's examine the options one by one:

a) Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results. - Correct
b) Neither she nor they was willing to predict the election results. - Incorrect
c) Neither she nor they was willing to predict, the election results. - Incorrect (Comma placement is incorrect)
d) Neither she nor they were willing to predict, the election results. - Incorrect (Comma placement is incorrect)

Hence, the correct answer is option 'A' - "Neither she nor they were willing to predict the election results."

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