Question 80·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Neither the mayor nor the city council members ______ willing to postpone the vote, arguing that any further delay would undermine public trust.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject–verb agreement questions, first underline the entire subject, then pay special attention to structures like "neither...nor" and "either...or"—the verb should agree with the noun closest to it. Next, quickly label each answer choice as singular or plural (and note the tense), then choose the option that matches both the number of the subject and the time frame implied by the sentence. Avoid going by what "sounds" right alone; always confirm the grammar rule in the sentence structure.
Hints
Locate the complete subject
Look at the words before the blank. Which two groups are connected by "neither...nor" and together act as the subject of the sentence?
Focus on the noun closest to the blank
For subjects joined by "neither...nor," pay attention to the noun or noun phrase right before the verb. Is that closest noun singular or plural?
Classify the choices by number and tense
Decide which answer choices are singular vs. plural, and which are past vs. present. Then match both the number and the time frame to the sentence.
Check for subject–verb agreement
Say the sentence aloud in your head with each option. Which one sounds correct with "the city council members" and keeps the sentence smooth and natural?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the full subject
Look at the words connected to the blank: "Neither the mayor nor the city council members ______ willing".
The structure is "neither A nor B", where:
- A = "the mayor" (singular)
- B = "the city council members" (plural)
Together, they form a compound subject linked by neither...nor.
Recall the rule for "neither...nor"
With neither...nor (and also either...or), the verb usually agrees with the part of the subject closest to the verb.
Here, the words right before the blank are "the city council members", which is plural, so the verb in the blank must be plural too.
Check which options are singular vs. plural
Now classify the answer choices by number:
- was – singular past
- were – plural past
- has been – singular present perfect
- is – singular present
Only one option is plural: the one that uses were.
Match tense and choose the correct verb
The sentence describes a decision about postponing a specific vote, which fits a past-time situation: "were willing to postpone the vote."
Because the subject near the blank is "the city council members" (plural) and we need past tense, the only grammatically correct and logically consistent choice is "were".