"Either...Or" and "Neither...Nor" Correlative Agreement in Technical English
5 exercises — practise matching the verb to the nearer subject after either...or and neither...nor.
0 / 15 completed
1 / 15
Which sentence correctly applies the proximity rule, matching the verb to the nearer subject after "either...or"?
"Either the load balancer or the individual nodes are misconfigured" is correct: with "either...or", the verb agrees with the noun closest to it — here, the plural "nodes" takes the plural verb "are". Option B incorrectly uses the singular "is" despite the nearer plural subject. Option C uses the ungrammatical bare form "be". Option D uses the wrong tense "was" and adds a vague qualifier.
2 / 15
Choose the sentence that correctly applies the proximity rule in reverse order, where the singular subject is now closer to the verb.
"Either the individual nodes or the load balancer is misconfigured" is correct: reversing the order puts the singular "the load balancer" closest to the verb, so the singular "is" is required, even though "nodes" earlier in the sentence is plural. Option B incorrectly uses the plural "are" based on the earlier subject rather than the nearer one. Option C uses the wrong tense and adds a vague qualifier. Option D uses the ungrammatical bare form "be".
3 / 15
Which sentence correctly applies proximity agreement with "neither...nor" in a QA test-result summary?
"Neither the unit tests nor the integration suite catches this regression" is correct: the singular "the integration suite" is closest to the verb, so the singular "catches" is required, despite the earlier plural "tests". Option B incorrectly uses the plural "catch". Option C uses the ungrammatical participle form alone as the main verb. Option D uses plural "have" and adds a confusing, redundant qualifier.
4 / 15
Select the sentence that correctly applies proximity agreement with "neither...nor" when the plural subject is closest to the verb, in an architecture review.
"...nor the read replicas support this query pattern efficiently" is correct: the plural "the read replicas" is closest to the verb, so the plural "support" is required, even though "database" earlier is singular. Option B incorrectly uses the singular "supports". Option C uses the ungrammatical bare participle as the main verb. Option D mixes an auxiliary "has" with the base form incorrectly.
5 / 15
Which sentence correctly applies the proximity rule with a first-person subject closest to the verb after "either...or", requiring matching subject-verb agreement rather than a fixed default?
"Either the reviewers or I am responsible for signing off..." is correct: with "I" as the subject closest to the verb, the matching form "am" is required, following the proximity rule even with pronouns. Option B incorrectly uses "are", which would match "reviewers" rather than the nearer "I". Option C incorrectly uses "is", which matches neither subject correctly. Option D uses the ungrammatical bare form "be".
6 / 15
Maria's PR description for a new database schema reads:
'The system will either use PostgreSQL or MySQL. We need to ensure data consistency.'
Which revision demonstrates the most appropriate application of 'neither…nor'?
This question tests the correct application of 'neither…nor'. The core principle is to pair the subject with a similar negative structure. Option 1 correctly uses 'neither…nor' to eliminate both database options and clearly states the need for data consistency. Options 2 and 3 have grammatical errors, and option 4 incorrectly places a comma.
7 / 15
Ben, during a system architecture review, stated:
'The application will either use a microservices architecture or it will be monolithic. We need to consider the trade-offs.'
Which of the following is the most accurate revision incorporating proximity agreement?
This question targets 'neither…nor' usage with a plural subject. The correct form requires 'neither' followed by 'nor'. Option 0 uses this structure effectively, pairing 'architecture' with 'monolithic,' while the other options have grammatical errors or incorrectly use 'either'.
8 / 15
Maria's PR description for a new database schema reads:
'The system will either use PostgreSQL or MySQL. We need to ensure data consistency.'
Which revision demonstrates the most appropriate application of 'neither…nor'?
This question tests the correct application of 'neither…nor'. The core principle is to pair the subject with a similar negative structure. Option 1 correctly uses 'neither…nor' to eliminate both database options and clearly states the need for data consistency. Options 2 and 3 have grammatical errors, and option 4 incorrectly places a comma.
9 / 15
Ben, during a system architecture review, stated:
'The application will either use a microservices architecture or it will be monolithic. We need to consider the trade-offs.'
Which of the following is the most accurate revision incorporating proximity agreement?
This question targets 'neither…nor' usage with a plural subject. The correct form requires 'neither' followed by 'nor'. Option 0 uses this structure effectively, pairing 'architecture' with 'monolithic,' while the other options have grammatical errors or incorrectly use 'either'.
10 / 15
Maria's PR description for a new database schema reads:
'The system will either use PostgreSQL or MySQL. We need to ensure data consistency.'
Which revision demonstrates the most appropriate application of 'neither…nor'?
This question tests the correct application of 'neither…nor'. The core principle is to pair the subject with a similar negative structure. Option 1 correctly uses 'neither…nor' to eliminate both database options and clearly states the need for data consistency. Options 2 and 3 have grammatical errors, and option 4 incorrectly places a comma.
11 / 15
Ben, during a system architecture review, stated:
'The application will either use a microservices architecture or it will be monolithic. We need to consider the trade-offs.'
Which of the following is the most accurate revision incorporating proximity agreement?
This question targets 'neither…nor' usage with a plural subject. The correct form requires 'neither' followed by 'nor'. Option 0 uses this structure effectively, pairing 'architecture' with 'monolithic,' while the other options have grammatical errors or incorrectly use 'either'.
12 / 15
John said: 'The server will either use Kubernetes or Docker. We need to optimize resource utilization.'
Which revision best applies the proximity rule for agreement?
The proximity rule dictates that the verb should agree with the subject closest to it. In this case, 'Kubernetes' is closer to the verb 'use,' so 'use' must be in its singular form. Option 1 correctly reflects this; options 2 and 3 incorrectly use 'nor' or default agreement, while option 4 repeats the sentence unnecessarily.
13 / 15
Sarah wrote in a Slack message: 'The API will either return JSON data or XML. We need to ensure compatibility.' Which revision demonstrates accurate proximity agreement?
Similar to the previous example, proximity agreement demands that the verb 'return' matches the subject closest to it – in this case, 'JSON data.' Using 'nor' is incorrect and violates the rule. Option 1 accurately reflects the correct structure for proximity agreement with 'either…or'.
14 / 15
Emily's comment in a code review reads: 'The database will either use PostgreSQL or MySQL. We need to ensure data integrity.' Which revision best illustrates the correct application of proximity agreement?
With 'either…or,' the verb 'use' must agree with the subject closest to it – in this case, 'PostgreSQL.' Employing 'nor' is a grammatical error. Option 1 accurately reflects the proximity rule for this type of correlative conjunction.
15 / 15
During a standup update, David stated: 'The new feature will either be implemented using React or Angular. We need to prioritize the user experience.' Which revision demonstrates the most accurate application of 'neither…nor' in this context?
This question tests proximity agreement with 'neither…nor' when the subject is plural. The correct sentence places 'neither' closest to 'use,' mirroring the structure and ensuring accurate verb agreement. Options A and B misplace 'neither' or incorrectly use a comma after it. Option D contains an unnecessary 'nor'.
What will I practise in ""Either...Or" and "Neither...Nor" Correlative Agreement — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise the proximity rule for subject-verb agreement with "either...or" and "neither...
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This module has 15 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.