A RULE PER DAY: PROXIMITY

English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)

A RULE PER DAY: PROXIMITY

Either the boys or their sister ~were~ responsible (nonstandard).
Either the boys or their sister was responsible (standard).

Neither the girl nor the boys ~was~ allowed to go in (nonstandard).
Neither the girl nor the boys were allowed to go in (standard).

RULE: When correlative conjunctions (conjunctions that are used in pairs such as either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also) are used in the subject position of a sentence, the verb will agree with the part of the subject that is closer to it.
GAB