An agreement question tests whether a verb matches a subject that's singular (one thing) or plural (more than one). Sort the verb forms by number, then find the subjects by setting aside the words that describe them. With neither ... nor, the verb matches the nearer subject, whether it's singular or plural. Check with it or they to test the match. Describing words can put another noun close to the blank without making it the subject.
Hints
- Hint 1
Find the two noun groups linked by neither and nor.
- Hint 2
Look for the words that describe each noun group. What remains if you set aside both that clauses?
- Hint 3
Match the verb to the nearer subject in a neither ... nor pair. Replace that subject with it or they to test whether it means one thing or more than one.
Step-by-step
Sort, find, and match
Step 1Sort the forms by number
Sort the verb forms by number: obscures, has obscured, and is obscuring are singular, so they go with it. In the longer forms, the helpers has and is show the number. Which subject will decide the blank's number? The opening Neither and the later nor show that this sentence links two subjects, so let's find both.
- Step 2
Remove the describing clauses
Set aside that blankets the rainforest canopy and that frequently gather above it, which describe the foliage and the clouds. Each is a that clause, a group of words with its own subject and verb. What remains when we cross those descriptions out? The two subjects are foliage and clouds; canopy and it were part of the descriptions, not subjects for the blank.
- Step 3
Apply the rule for nor
Does neither ... nor make the whole pair plural like and does? No: with neither ... nor, the verb matches the nearer subject, whether it's singular or plural. Here nor the thick clouds comes second, so clouds is the nearer subject and controls the blank. The singular foliage comes first, so it doesn't decide this verb's number.
- Step 4
Test the nearer subject
Are the clouds one thing or more than one? The phrase the thick clouds names more than one, so replace the subject with they. The check is they obscure, which gives those clouds the matching plural verb. Choice B.