Distributives

Distributives are determiners that refer to members of a group individually rather than collectively. At the mastery level, you will tackle the trickiest subject-verb agreement patterns involving "neither of", "either of", and the correlative pairs "either...or" and "neither...nor".

What You'll Learn

• How to use "neither of" and "either of" with the correct singular verb
• How "either...or" and "neither...nor" determine verb agreement based on the nearest subject
• How to handle complex sentences where distributives combine with prepositional phrases
• How to distinguish distributive constructions from similar-looking quantifier phrases

When to Use

1. Rejecting both options: "Neither of the proposals was accepted by the committee."
2. Offering a choice between two: "Either of the routes is fine for reaching the museum."
3. Pairing two alternatives with "or": "Either the captain or the vice-captain leads the assembly."
4. Pairing two negatives with "nor": "Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of the schedule change."
5. Separating individuals within a group: "Each of the contestants has prepared a presentation on environmental conservation."

How to Form

"Neither of" and "Either of" + Singular Verb

When "neither of" or "either of" is followed by a plural noun, the verb is still singular because the meaning refers to one individual at a time.

Remember: "Neither of" and "either of" always point to one person or thing, so the verb stays singular.

"Either...or" and "Neither...nor" -- Nearest Subject Rule

When using the correlative pairs "either...or" and "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the subject closest to it (the nearest subject rule).

Writing tip: When one subject is singular and the other is plural, place the plural subject closer to the verb so the sentence sounds more natural. "Neither the captain nor the players were ready" flows better than "Neither the players nor the captain was ready."

Quick Comparison: "Neither of" vs "Neither...nor"

Key Rules

1. "Neither of" takes a singular verb: Even though the noun after "of" is plural, the verb must be singular. "Neither of the restaurants serves laksa" -- not "serve".

2. "Either of" takes a singular verb: The same rule applies. "Either of the textbooks contains the formula" -- not "contain".

3. Nearest subject rule for "either...or": The verb agrees with the subject placed right before it. "Either the principal or the teachers decide the schedule."

4. Nearest subject rule for "neither...nor": Works identically. "Neither the students nor the teacher was informed about the cancellation."

5. Do not confuse "neither of" with "none of": "Neither of" refers to exactly two items and takes a singular verb. "None of" can refer to more than two and may take either a singular or plural verb depending on context.

6. Pronoun agreement follows the same pattern: After "neither of", use a singular pronoun. "Neither of the girls brought her umbrella" -- not "their".

7. "Each of" and "every one of" remain singular at mastery level: Even when embedded in longer sentences. "Each of the reports submitted by the various departments requires careful review."

Common Mistakes

Clue Words

Always singular verb (distributive "of" phrases)

neither of, either of, each of, every one of

Nearest subject rule (correlative pairs)

either...or, neither...nor

Other singular distributive determiners (revision from earlier levels)

each, every, either, neither (without "of")

Tip: When you see "of" after "neither" or "either", the verb is always singular. When you see "or" or "nor" instead, look at the subject closest to the verb to decide.

Practice Tips

1. The "of" shortcut: Spot the word "of" right after "neither" or "either". If it is there, the answer is always a singular verb -- no exceptions.

2. Circle the nearest subject: For "either...or" and "neither...nor" sentences, draw an arrow from the verb back to the nearest subject. Does that subject look singular or plural? Match the verb to it.

3. Rearrange to check: If "Neither the students nor the teacher was informed" sounds odd, flip the subjects: "Neither the teacher nor the students were informed." Both are correct, but the second sounds smoother because the plural subject sits closer to the verb.

4. Watch for distractors: In exam sentences, prepositional phrases may appear between the subject and verb to confuse you. Cross them out mentally. "Neither of the reports (submitted last Friday) was approved" -- the true subject is "neither of the reports", not "Friday".

Quick Reference