Independent practice material. Not affiliated with the University of the Philippines and not official UPCAT content. Official UP Office of Admissions site

UPCATReviewer

UPCAT English practice question 1: Neither of the two proposals submitted by the committee ______ the mayor's approval.

Correct answer

B. has earned

"Neither" is singular, so it takes a singular verb. The plural noun in the prepositional phrase "of the two proposals" does not change the subject's number.

Neither of the two proposals submitted by the committee ______ the mayor's approval.

  1. have earned
  2. has earnedCorrect
  3. were earning
  4. are earning

Why B is correct

"Neither" is singular, so it takes a singular verb. The plural noun in the prepositional phrase "of the two proposals" does not change the subject's number.

Why the other options are wrong

A have earned
Agrees with the nearby plural "proposals" rather than with the actual subject "neither", which is singular.
C were earning
Wrong number and an unnecessary progressive aspect for a completed result.
D are earning
Wrong number, and the present progressive does not fit a question about whether approval was obtained.
Practice this section as a quizMore Grammar questions

Same topic