Question 126·Hard·Form, Structure, and Sense
Neither the committee members nor the chair ______ willing to extend the submission deadline, a stance that has frustrated many applicants.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject–verb agreement questions, first locate the main subject actually tied to the verb, especially in structures like "either...or" and "neither...nor" where the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Then decide if that subject is singular or plural and what tense the sentence requires from context. Eliminate all answer choices that do not match both the subject’s number and the sentence’s time frame, rather than relying on what “sounds right.”
Hints
Locate the true subject
Focus on the phrase right before the blank. What word is directly next to the blank, and is it singular or plural?
Remember the neither...nor rule
In sentences with "neither...nor," the verb usually agrees with the noun or noun phrase that is closest to the verb. Which part of the subject is closest here?
Check the time of the action
Does the sentence describe something happening now, something that happened in the past, or something that has been happening over a period of time? Choose a verb form that matches that time.
Combine number and tense
Once you know whether the subject is singular or plural and which time period is being described, eliminate any choices that do not match both of those requirements.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the verb and the overall structure
Look at the blank: it will be filled by a form of the verb "to be." The structure of the subject is "Neither the committee members nor the chair ______ willing to extend the submission deadline." This is a "neither...nor" construction.
Find the subject that controls the verb
In "neither...nor" sentences, the verb usually agrees with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. Here, the two parts of the subject are:
- "the committee members" (plural)
- "the chair" (singular)
The noun right next to the verb is "the chair," which is singular. So the verb must be singular.
Decide on the correct tense
Now check the sentence meaning and time. The sentence describes a present situation: they are currently unwilling to extend the deadline, and that stance "has frustrated" many applicants. This points to present tense, not past or perfect tenses.
Match number (singular) and tense (present)
We need a singular present form of "to be" to match "the chair" and the present-time meaning. Among the options, the only singular present verb that fits is "is", so the sentence should read: "Neither the committee members nor the chair is willing to extend the submission deadline, a stance that has frustrated many applicants."