Fill in the blank in the following sentence with the most appropriate option:
Either Gopal or Amit ____ the membership of the Routledge journal.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → has
Subject-verb agreement with "either ... or":
- When two subjects are joined by either ... or (or neither ... nor), the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
- Two singular subjects therefore take a singular verb.
- Deciding clue: "Either ... or" with the singular "Amit" nearest the verb.
- Two-step check: 1. agreement: singular subject → has / is having. 2. meaning: "have" = possess, which is not used in the continuous → has.
- This sentence: the nearer subject "Amit" is singular, so the verb is "has".
- Complete sentence: Either Gopal or Amit has the membership of the Routledge journal.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: have — Incorrect. "Have" is used with plural subjects and with I, you, we and they. It does not agree with the singular "Amit".
Example: The students have finished the test.
Option 3: having — Incorrect. "Having" is a participle. It cannot be the main verb of a sentence on its own.
Example: Having finished the work, she went home.
Option 4: is having — Incorrect. "Have" in the sense of possessing something (here, a membership) is not used in the continuous. "Is having" is used for actions such as eating or taking.
Example: She is having lunch right now.
Contrast: "has" agrees with the singular "Amit" nearest the verb. "Have" goes with plural subjects and with I, you, we and they.