BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Pronoun: Singular or Plural

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 7:25 am
Location: India

Pronoun: Singular or Plural

by ashwin_gowda » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:06 am
In one of the GMAT material i found the following:


A pronoun should be singular when it refers to two nouns joined by or or nor.

Incorrect: Neither Ricki nor Amy beleives they won the lottery.
Correct: Neither Ricki nor Amy believes she won the lottery.

First of all shouldn't the correct word be believe?

Secondly, in the case the two persons described, one was a male and the female how would it be constructed. to which of the two person should one refer to?

Neither John nor Marry believe ________ won the lottery
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:04 am
Thanked: 1 times
Followed by:1 members

by f2001290 » Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:16 am
Hi Ashwin - The suitable verb in this construction is "believes"

Explanation: In "Neither ... Nor" constructions, verb should agree with the subject following "Nor".

Example: Neither his friends nor Joe IS going to the beach.

The same rule holds for "Either...or" and "Or" constructions.
Top
Moderator
Posts: 772
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2017 6:29 pm
Followed by:6 members

by BTGmoderatorRO » Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:31 pm
Hello Ashwin,
First of all, either and neither can be used in several ways ; adverbs, determiners, pronouns and conjunction. Neither holds a negative significance. you will always find them being paired up this way as 'Either/or' and 'Neither/nor'. These are the ways you can find them in their respective use.

Subject Verb Argument
'Neither/nor' is used in a sentence in the negative sense when you want to say that two or more things are not true
for example,
Neither my mother nor my father went to University.
Neither John nor Mary believes she won the lottery. In the case, believes is the answer because both elements are singular.
Furthermore, it is important to know that in 'Neither/nor' usage, Verbs agree with the subject after 'nor'.
e.g Neither Tunde nor his friends believe him.
Neither she, my friends nor I am going to the festival
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1