Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence:
Neither the headmistress nor the classroom teachers _____ in agreement with the directive.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. were
- Step 1: Apply the rule of proximity (concord) for correlative conjunctions 'neither... nor'. When compound subjects differing in number or person are joined by 'neither... nor', the finite verb agrees with the subject closer to the verb.
- Step 2: Identify the closer subject: 'the classroom teachers' is plural. Therefore, the verb must be plural in past tense: 'were'.
Answer
were.
Why not the others: was is singular and incorrectly agrees with the distant subject 'headmistress', violating proximity concord; is is singular and present tense, conflicting with both number agreement and past context; has been is singular present perfect, which violates both plural subject agreement and copular adjective phrasing.
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