TEZPUR 2025 — English PYQ

To determine the correct sentence, we must analyze the rules of subject-verb agreement regarding the word "neither."

1. Grammatical Rule:

• The word "neither" is a singular pronoun.

• When "neither" is used as the subject in a phrase like "neither of [plural noun/pronoun]," it takes a singular verb because it refers to not one of the individuals in the group.

• The agreement can be expressed as:

  $$\text{Neither (Singular)}+\text{Singular Verb}=\text{Correct Agreement}$$

2. Evaluating the Options:

• Option (a) uses "are" (plural), which is incorrect.

• Option (b) uses "is" (singular), which correctly agrees with the subject "neither".

• Option (c) uses "were" (plural), which is incorrect.

• Option (d) uses "have been" (plural), which is incorrect.

Conclusion:

The grammatically correct sentence is (b) Neither of them is available.