Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
Neither the director nor the senior analysts ______ inclined to support the merger in its proposed form.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
were
Explanation
Core Meaning: The sentence states that both the director and the senior analysts disagree with the current layout of the proposed merger. When a sentence joins two subjects using the correlative conjunction "neither... nor...", the rule of proximity applies. This means the verb must agree in number with the subject closest to it. Because "the senior analysts" is a plural noun and sits closest to the blank space, it requires the plural past-tense verb were.
Key Points
Core Definition: The proximity rule dictates that when subjects are connected by neither/nor or either/or, the verb conjugates based on the singular or plural status of the nearest noun phrase.
Grammatical Role: Selecting a plural auxiliary verb to complete the passive/adjectival predicate structure while ensuring proper subject-verb agreement with the closer subject.