Select the grammatically correct sentence from the options given.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Neither the boy nor the mother could identify the man.
Error concept: We need to identify the sentence with proper article usage and logical parallelism.
What is wrong in other options:
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Option 2: “Neither a boy nor a mother…” is grammatically correct but vague — it introduces indefinite people, which breaks the clarity of the sentence.
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Option 3: “…could identify a man” changes the intended reference — it makes the man indefinite, which is contextually weaker.
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Option 4: Same issue: indefinite references (“a boy… a man”) make the meaning less precise.
Grammatical concept:
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When two known/definite persons are being referred to, the definite article “the” should be used consistently.
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“Neither…nor” connects two parallel noun phrases; both should have similar definiteness.
Incorrectness of the concept in context:
Options 2, 3, and 4 mix indefinite and definite articles, creating awkwardness or altering meaning.
How to correct: Use definite articles for all three known persons.
Correct phrase/ correction: “Neither the boy nor the mother could identify the man.”
Final sentence: Neither the boy nor the mother could identify the man.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.