Preliminary SAT (PSAT) Practice Test

The term "either/or" and "neither/nor" suggest that when using these constructs, the subject that directly precedes the verb determines whether the verb will be singular or plural, making them singular in nature. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and vice versa. For example, in the phrase "either the cat or the dog runs fast,” "the dog" is the subject closest to the verb, and since it is singular, the verb "runs" must also be singular. Similarly, in the phrase "neither the teacher nor the students were present," "the teacher" is singular, so the verb "were" aligns accordingly with the more closely related subject when reversed to the plural form. Therefore, the correct understanding of "either/or" and "neither/nor" establishes that they guide us to employ a singular verb form when dealing with a singular subject, emphasizing the singular nature of the subjects.