Identify the part of the sentence that has an error.
(A) Neither
(B) the mouse
(C) nor the cat
(D) were
(E) caught.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (D) Only
Subject-verb agreement with neither ... nor:
- When two subjects are joined by neither ... nor (or either ... or), the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
- This sentence: the nearer subject is "the cat", which is singular, so "were" must become "was".
Example: Neither the teacher nor the students were present.
(A) Neither — No error.
- It correctly opens the neither ... nor pair.
(B) the mouse — No error.
- It is the first subject.
(C) nor the cat — No error.
- Nor correctly pairs with "neither".
(D) were — Error.
- The singular subject "the cat" needs was.
(E) caught. — No error.
- The past participle completes the passive "was caught".
Corrected: Neither the mouse nor the cat was caught.
Contrast: neither the mouse nor the cat was caught. Neither the mouse nor the cats were caught.