Choose: Neither the teacher nor the students _____ ready.

**The reasoning** This tests **subject-verb agreement with "neither...nor"**. The golden rule: when "neither...nor" (or "either...or") joins two subjects, the verb agrees with the **subject closest to it**. Here: "Neither the teacher nor **the students**..." "Students" is plural and sits right next to the verb, so we need the plural verb **"are"**. If the sentence were flipped — "Neither the students nor the teacher _____ ready" — you'd use "is" because "teacher" (singular) would be closest to the verb. --- **Why the wrong options tempt you** **A) is** — You might think "neither" sounds singular, or focus on "teacher" (singular) and forget the proximity rule. **C) was** — Past tense, but the sentence is clearly present (nothing signals past time). **D) be** — Base form; never correct after a subject without a helping verb like "will" or "should". --- **Quick takeaway** With "neither...nor" or "either...or," the verb matches whichever subject is **nearest** — students are near, so "are" wins!