Question:
Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.
Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.
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With “neither...nor,” ensure that the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. When both subjects are singular, the verb should also be singular.
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Neither this nor that machine is working.
- Neither this nor that machine are working.
- Neither this and that machine is working.
- Neither this but that machine is working.
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The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
We need to identify the sentence with correct use of correlative conjunctions and subject–verb agreement:
(A) Correct — “Neither...nor” is the appropriate correlative conjunction here, joining two singular subjects (“this” and “that machine”). When two singular subjects are joined by “neither...nor,” the verb must be singular (“is”).
(B) Incorrect because “are” is plural, which conflicts with the singular nature of each subject. The grammatical agreement should follow the subject closest to the verb — here, “that machine” (singular) — requiring “is.”
(C) Incorrect because “neither...and” is not a valid correlative conjunction pair.
(D) Incorrect because “neither...but” is also not a valid correlative conjunction in standard English grammar. Therefore, (A) is the only option that is both grammatically correct and logically precise.
(A) Correct — “Neither...nor” is the appropriate correlative conjunction here, joining two singular subjects (“this” and “that machine”). When two singular subjects are joined by “neither...nor,” the verb must be singular (“is”).
(B) Incorrect because “are” is plural, which conflicts with the singular nature of each subject. The grammatical agreement should follow the subject closest to the verb — here, “that machine” (singular) — requiring “is.”
(C) Incorrect because “neither...and” is not a valid correlative conjunction pair.
(D) Incorrect because “neither...but” is also not a valid correlative conjunction in standard English grammar. Therefore, (A) is the only option that is both grammatically correct and logically precise.
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Approach Solution -2
This question checks two things: whether the correct correlative conjunction pair is used, and whether the verb agrees with the noun closest to it, a special rule that applies specifically to 'neither...nor' and 'either...or' constructions.
- Neither this nor that machine is working.: 'Neither' is correctly paired with 'nor.' Under the closest-subject rule for correlative conjunctions, the verb must agree with the noun nearest to it, which is 'that machine,' a singular noun, so the singular verb 'is' is correct.
- Neither this nor that machine are working.: The conjunction pair 'neither...nor' is used correctly, but the verb 'are' is plural, which does not match the singular noun 'machine' that sits closest to the verb.
- Neither this and that machine is working.: 'Neither' must be paired with 'nor,' not 'and.' Pairing it with 'and' is not a recognised correlative construction in standard English, so this option is grammatically invalid from the start.
- Neither this but that machine is working.: Similarly, 'neither' cannot be paired with 'but.' No such correlative pair exists, making this option grammatically invalid regardless of the verb used.
Only the option that pairs 'neither' correctly with 'nor,' and matches the verb to the closer singular noun, is fully correct.
Therefore, the correct answer is Neither this nor that machine is working.
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Approach Solution -3
Two grammatical tags matter here: which conjunction 'neither' is paired with, and whether the verb agrees with the noun closest to it, a special agreement rule for 'neither...nor' constructions.
- Neither this nor that machine is working.: Tagging the conjunction pair gives 'neither...nor', the only valid pairing. Tagging the verb's nearest noun gives 'machine' (singular), and the verb 'is' correctly tags as singular to match it.
- Neither this nor that machine are working.: The conjunction pair tags correctly as 'neither...nor', but the verb 'are' tags as plural, mismatching the singular noun 'machine' sitting right next to it.
- Neither this and that machine is working.: Tagging the conjunction shows 'neither' paired with 'and', a combination that does not exist as a valid correlative pair in English grammar at all, regardless of what the verb does.
- Neither this but that machine is working.: Tagging the conjunction shows 'neither' paired with 'but', which is likewise not a recognised correlative pair, making the sentence invalid from the conjunction alone.
Only one option tags correctly on both the conjunction pairing and the closest-noun verb agreement.
Therefore, the correct answer is Neither this nor that machine is working.
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What pleased and satisfied her so, here at Carignano, was its barrenness. This was the chief virtue of all Kasauli of course-its starkness. It had rocks, it had pines, it had light and air. In every direction there was a sweeping view - to the north, of the mountains, to the south, of the plains. Occasionally an eagle swam through this clear unobstructed mass of light and air, that was all. And Carignano, her home on the ridge, had no more than that. Why should it? The sun shone on its white walls. Its windows were open the ones facing north opened on to the blue waves of the Himalayas flowing out and up to the line of ice and snow sketched upon the sky, while those that faced south looked down the plunging cliff to the plain stretching out, flat and sere to the blurred horizon.
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