MAH-CET 2026 — English PYQ
MAH-CET | English | 2026Fill in the blank:
Neither the teacher nor the students _____ present.
Choose the correct answer:
- A.
is
- B.
are
(Correct Answer) - C.
was
- D.
has
are
Explanation
Correct Answer: (b) are
Detailed Explanation
This question is based on the grammatical rules of Subject-Verb Agreement, specifically concerning correlative conjunctions like "Neither... nor..." or "Either... or...".
The core rule states:
When two subjects are connected by ’neither... nor’, the verb must agree with the closer subject.
Let's break down the subjects in the sentence:
Subject 1: "the teacher" (Singular)
Subject 2: "the students" (Plural)
Since the blank space is closest to "the students" (which is a plural noun), we must use a plural verb to complete the sentence correctly.
Therefore, the complete sentence is: "Neither the teacher nor the students are present."
Explanation
Correct Answer: (b) are
Detailed Explanation
This question is based on the grammatical rules of Subject-Verb Agreement, specifically concerning correlative conjunctions like "Neither... nor..." or "Either... or...".
The core rule states:
When two subjects are connected by ’neither... nor’, the verb must agree with the closer subject.
Let's break down the subjects in the sentence:
Subject 1: "the teacher" (Singular)
Subject 2: "the students" (Plural)
Since the blank space is closest to "the students" (which is a plural noun), we must use a plural verb to complete the sentence correctly.
Therefore, the complete sentence is: "Neither the teacher nor the students are present."