Question 147·Hard·Form, Structure, and Sense
Neither the promises of commercial success nor the lure of widespread acclaim _____ the sculptor, whose works continue to interrogate the material’s capacity for fragility.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject–verb agreement questions, first isolate the main clause and ignore extra descriptive phrases (especially those after commas or introduced by "whose," "which," or "that"). In constructions with "neither/nor" or "either/or," remember that the verb agrees with the subject part closest to it. Decide whether that subject is singular or plural, then quickly eliminate choices that don’t match in number. Finally, check that the verb tense fits the time frame implied by the rest of the sentence so both grammar and meaning are correct.
Hints
Locate the main subject
Ignore the descriptive phrase after the comma and focus on the part before it. What word or phrase is actually doing the action (or not doing it) in the sentence?
Use the neither/nor rule
In a "neither ... nor ..." structure, the verb agrees in number (singular or plural) with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. Which noun phrase is closest to the blank?
Check number and tense
Once you know whether the subject is singular or plural, eliminate any choices that don't match that number. Then, think about the time frame of the sentence—are we talking about something completed in the past, happening now, or true up to the present?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the sentence structure and main verb
Focus on the main clause: "Neither the promises of commercial success nor the lure of widespread acclaim _____ the sculptor." The blank is the main verb of this clause. Everything after the comma ("whose works continue...") is extra information and does not affect subject–verb agreement.
Find the true subject in a neither/nor construction
In constructions with "neither ... nor ...," the verb agrees with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. Here the two parts are:
- "the promises of commercial success" (plural)
- "the lure of widespread acclaim" (singular)
The part closest to the blank is "the lure of widespread acclaim," which is singular. Therefore, the verb in the blank must also be singular.
Match the verb tense to the context
The clause after the comma says the sculptor's works "continue to interrogate" the material’s capacity, which is present tense and describes an ongoing situation. The missing verb should also refer to something that has been true up to now (the promises and lure have not influenced the sculptor). A present-tense or present-perfect verb form that is singular will best match this context.
Compare the answer choices to the needed form
Now test each option:
- "have swayed" and "are swaying" are plural and do not agree with the singular subject "lure."
- "were swayed" is past tense, passive, and does not fit the meaning that these things still have not influenced the sculptor up to the present.
- Only "has swayed" is singular and in the present perfect tense, matching both the subject and the time frame.
So the correct answer is "has swayed."