The Short Answer: Look Closest to the Verb
With neither…nor, the verb usually agrees with the subject closest to it. If that subject is singular, use a singular verb; if it’s plural, use a plural verb. So Neither the dog nor the cats are asleep and Neither the cats nor the dog is asleep both follow the standard rule.
That’s the useful answer. The trick is remembering it when a sentence contains two subjects, a handful of extra words, and a verb that suddenly looks suspicious in every form.
Why Does “Neither…Nor” Cause So Much Trouble?
Usually, subject–verb agreement is friendly enough: The dog is asleep. The cats are asleep. Then neither…nor walks in, connects dog and cats, and asks the verb to make a choice.
The phrase means that not one alternative and not the other applies. In Neither the dog nor the cats are asleep, the dog is awake, and the cats are awake too. But the fact that two alternatives are mentioned does not automatically make the verb plural. That’s where this construction differs from subjects joined by and: The dog and the cats are asleep takes a plural verb.
For a broader refresher on that distinction, see Uncover Words’ guide to subject–verb agreement. For now, the easiest approach is to find the subject immediately before the verb and let it lead.
When Both Subjects Are Singular
This is the easy version. If neither and nor introduce singular subjects, use a singular verb:
- Neither the kettle nor the toaster works.
- Neither Maya nor Leo is bringing dessert.
- Neither the book nor the movie has a happy ending.
In the first sentence, toaster is singular, so works fits. Move kettle into the second position and nothing changes: it’s singular too. There’s no disagreement for the verb to referee.
Notice that a singular present-tense verb can end in -s: the toaster works, while the toasters work. That tiny reversal is enough to make a grammar check feel like a puzzle box. If you’re unsure, try the nearer subject on its own: The toaster works. Now put the rest of the sentence back.
When Both Subjects Are Plural
If both subjects are plural, use a plural verb:
- Neither the buses nor the trains are running.
- Neither the teachers nor the students have arrived.
- Neither the muffins nor the cookies were labeled.
Again, changing the order won’t affect the choice. Whether buses or trains sits nearest the verb, it remains plural.
This is why “neither always takes a singular verb” is a tempting but unreliable shortcut. Neither on its own may behave differently, but neither…nor connects subjects whose number matters. Grammar likes to reuse words for different jobs, apparently to keep everyone alert.
When One Subject Is Singular and the Other Is Plural
Here’s the situation that earns neither…nor its reputation. With one singular subject and one plural subject, make the verb agree with the nearer one:
Neither the chef nor the servers are ready.
Servers is plural, so use are.Neither the servers nor the chef is ready.
Chef is singular, so use is.
Both sentences follow the proximity rule. The Chicago Manual of Style’s guidance on or and nor recommends agreement with the last-named subject and suggests switching the order—or rewriting—if the result feels awkward.
That last suggestion is worth keeping. Neither the servers nor the chef is ready follows the rule, but you might prefer Neither the chef nor the servers are ready. You have expressed the same idea without making readers pause at servers…is. The goal is a clear sentence, not a trophy for obeying a rule while sounding peculiar.
Don’t Let Extra Words Choose the Verb
The “closest subject” rule does not mean “agree with whichever noun happens to be nearest.” Compare these:
Neither the chef with three assistants nor the manager is available.
The words three assistants are plural, but they are part of a phrase describing the chef. The subjects joined by neither…nor are chef and manager. Because manager is nearest the verb and singular, is is the choice.
Now try:
Neither the manager nor the chefs with three assistants are available.
The subject nearest the verb is the chefs with three assistants, whose main noun is plural chefs. Use are. To check yourself, temporarily remove descriptive phrases: Neither the manager nor the chefs are available. The answer becomes much easier to see.
The same principle helps with a longer sentence: Neither the package from the bookstore nor the letters on the kitchen table have been opened. It’s letters—not table—that calls for have.
What About “Neither of Them”?
Neither of them is a related question, but it is not a neither…nor sentence. There’s no second subject after nor for the verb to agree with.
In formal writing, a singular verb is the safe choice:
Neither of the applicants is available.
In informal speech, you will also hear:
Neither of the applicants are available.
The Cambridge Dictionary’s guide to neither notes this difference between formal usage and informal speech. So don’t apply the proximity rule to applicants and insist that are must be the formal choice. That rule belongs to the paired-subject construction.
If this sounds like another argument you’ve had with a sentence, Uncover Words also looks at the related question of “none is” versus “none are”. Similar-looking words don’t always follow identical agreement patterns.
What If “Neither…Nor” Joins Actions Instead?
Before hunting for two subjects, check what the phrase is actually connecting. In She neither sings nor dances, neither and nor join two actions. There is only one subject: she.
That means both verbs take the form that fits she: She sings. She dances. Likewise, The children neither sing nor dance has the plural subject children, so both verbs use the plural form. The proximity rule for two subjects isn’t needed here; the sentence already has one subject doing—or, in this case, not doing—both things.
When the Rule Sounds Awkward, Rewrite
Some combinations make a technically rule-following sentence hard to enjoy. Pronouns can be especially troublesome:
Neither the neighbors nor I am bringing chairs.
Am agrees with the nearer subject, I, but the whole sentence may sound stiff. You don’t have to keep it. Try: The neighbors aren’t bringing chairs, and neither am I. Or, if you mean to emphasize that nobody is providing them: Neither I nor the neighbors are bringing chairs.
Rewriting is also handy when the subjects differ in number and neither order sounds natural in context. The chef and the servers aren’t ready is simpler than a neither…nor version when both groups are definitely unready. Keep the paired construction when it helps your meaning; let it go when a plainer sentence does the job better.
A 10-Second Check Before You Hit Send
When you meet neither…nor, run through three questions:
- What is the phrase joining? Two subjects, or something else, such as two actions?
- If it joins subjects, which subject is nearest the verb? Ignore extra descriptive words.
- Is that subject singular or plural? Match the verb to it—then read the whole sentence for clarity.
Try it: Neither the keys nor the wallet ___ on the desk. The nearer subject is singular wallet, so is fits. Reverse the order—Neither the wallet nor the keys ___ on the desk—and the answer becomes are.
That’s the rule in action. Neither…nor doesn’t demand a singular verb or a plural one every time. It asks you to look at what it joins, choose the verb that fits, and occasionally give an awkward sentence a graceful rewrite.