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Which rule best explains why the verb in the following sentence is correct?


Neither the council members nor the mayor supports the new parking restrictions.



This sentence has a mixed compound subject connected by or, so the verb agrees with the first plural subject.

Both parts of the compound subject are singular, so a singular verb is used.

This sentence has a mixed compound subject connected by nor, so the verb agrees with the singular subject that is closer.

Both parts of the compound subject are thought of as a single item, so a singular verb is used.

Verified Answer :

This sentence has a mixed compound subject connected by nor, so the verb agrees with the singular subject that is closer. 

The answer to your question would be that the rule that best explains why the verb in the following sentence is correct is the following one: This sentence has a mixed compound subject connected by nor, so the verb agrees with the singular subject that is closer.

In this case, "neither" is part of a two-part conjunction joining two subjects: "the council members" and "the mayor". Therefore, the verb must agree with the nearer subject ("the mayor", which is singular).

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