Complete: Neither John nor his brothers _____ at the meeting.

**The reasoning** This tests **subject-verb agreement with "neither...nor"**. The rule: when you have "neither A nor B," the verb agrees with **the part closest to it** — in this case, "his brothers." - "Brothers" is plural → we need a plural verb - The sentence is past tense (notice "at the meeting" implies completed action) - Plural + past = **were** So: "Neither John nor his brothers **were** at the meeting." **Why the wrong options tempt you** - **(A) was** — You might focus on "John" (singular) instead of "brothers," or think "neither" makes everything singular. Wrong! Check what's nearest the verb. - **(B) is** — Wrong tense. The meeting already happened (past). - **(D) has** — Singular + wrong structure. "Has" doesn't fit with "at the meeting" anyway. **Quick takeaway** With "neither...nor" or "either...or," **marry the verb to whichever noun stands closest to it** — that's your agreement partner, and tense must match the context.