โญ Critical Priority Rule
Subject-Verb Agreement: The Proximity Rule (Neither/Nor, Either/Or, Not only/But also)
सब्जेक्ट-वर्ब एग्रीमेंट: निकटता का नियम (Neither/Nor, Either/Or)
๐ฏ Target Exams:
SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, CPO, IBPS PO/Clerk, CDS, NDA, CUET
Rule Concept Overview
When two subjects are connected by 'Either...or', 'Neither...nor', 'Not only...but also', or 'or/nor', the verb ALWAYS agrees with the subject closest (nearest) to it.
जब दो कर्ता 'Either...or', 'Neither...nor', या 'Not only...but also' से जुड़े हों, तो क्रिया (Verb) हमेशा अपने सबसे निकट वाले कर्ता (Subject) के अनुसार आती है।
๐ Key Grammar Rules & Formulas
Rule 1: Either He or his friends ARE coming. (Verb 'ARE' agrees with plural 'friends' nearest to it).
नियम 1: Either He or his friends ARE coming. (पास वाला 'friends' बहुवचन है, इसलिए 'are' आएगा)।
Rule 2: Neither the teachers nor the principal IS attending. (Verb 'IS' agrees with singular 'principal' nearest to it).
नियम 2: Neither the teachers nor the principal IS attending. (पास वाला 'principal' एकवचन है, इसलिए 'is' आएगा)।
Rule 3: In interrogative sentences, the verb agrees with the subject immediately following it: 'Are either you or he ready?' -> 'Is either he or you ready?'
नियम 3: प्रश्नवाचक वाक्यों में Verb ठीक बाद आने वाले कर्ता के अनुसार बदलता है।
Rule 4: When joined by 'as well as', 'with', 'together with', 'along with', the verb agrees with the FIRST subject, NOT the nearest one!
नियम 4: ध्यान दें! 'As well as', 'along with', 'with' में क्रिया हमेशा पहले (1st) कर्ता के अनुसार आती है।
๐ฅ
เคธเคฌเคธเฅ เคเคธเคพเคจ Trick & Memory Formula
Use this proven formula shortcut and mnemonic trick to lock this rule into permanent memory:
💡 Mnemonic Trick: 'NEITHER / EITHER = NEAREST NEIGHBOR WINS!'
Fun Story: Imagine a noisy party. The verb only listens to the neighbor standing closest to its ear! If the closest neighbor is singular, verb stays singular; if plural, verb goes plural. But watch out: 'Along with / As well as' is a VIP escort who only respects the FIRST VIP!
💡 याद रखने की मज़ेदार ट्रिक: 'Either/Nor में पास वाले पड़ोसी का राज चलेगा!'
कहानी: Verb सिर्फ अपने सबसे करीबी पड़ोसी (निकटतम Subject) की बात सुनता है। लेकिन 'As well as / Along with' में सिर्फ पहले राजा (1st Subject) का हुक्म चलता है!
โ ๏ธ
Exam Trap Alert (Error Spotting Trap)
⚠️ Exam Trap: Don't confuse 'Neither...nor' (nearest subject) with 'As well as / with / along with' (first subject). Example: 'The captain along with players was (not were) rewarded.'
⚠️ परीक्षा ट्रैप: 'Neither...nor' (निकटतम कर्ता) और 'As well as' (पहला कर्ता) के नियम में कभी भ्रमित न हों। 'The captain as well as players was present' सही है!
โก Practice MCQ (Spot the Error)
Instant Self-Test
Identify the error in the sentence: 'Neither the manager nor the employees was aware of the system outage.'
त्रुटि पहचानें: 'Neither the manager nor the employees was aware of the system outage.'
'Employees' is plural and is closest to the verb, so 'were aware of' must be used instead of 'was aware of'.
'Employees' बहुवचन है और क्रिया के सबसे निकट है, इसलिए 'was' की जगह 'were aware of' का प्रयोग होगा।
Source: Standard Grammar Principles (Original Content)