Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
Either your parents or your grandfather ______ to sign the form before you leave for the school trip tomorrow.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → has
Subject-verb agreement with “either ... or”:
- With “either ... or”, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
- The nearer subject is “your grandfather”, which is singular. The signing is still to come (“tomorrow”), so the form is has to sign.
- Complete sentence: Either your parents or your grandfather has to sign the form before you leave for the school trip tomorrow.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: have — Incorrect. “Have” is plural. The verb must agree with “your grandfather”, the nearer subject. Example: Either the captain or the players have to speak to the umpire.
Option 3: had — Incorrect. “Had” shows the past. The sentence is about something still to happen (“tomorrow”). Example: Yesterday we had to wait an hour for the bus.
Option 4: are — Incorrect. “Are” is plural, but the nearer subject “your grandfather” is singular. Example: My parents are at home today.