Are either of the 2024 candidates acceptable to you? Or is neither candidate acceptable to you?
Distributive Determiners that Always Require a Singular Verb:
- Either/Neither: Refers to one (or not one) out of two items: “Neither of your claims is sufficient to convey standing.”
- Exception—Neither/Nor OR Either/Or Constructions: Agree the verb with the noun that’s closer to nor/or: “Neither the plaintiff nor the defendants are willing to compromise.”
- Each: Refers to every one of two or more items, taken one-by-one: “Each additional day you wait is another day that justice is delayed.”
Distributive Determiners that Always Require a Plural Verb:
- Both: Refers to two items collectively: “Both parties are unwilling to compromise.”
- Few: Refers to a small number (but more than one) of something: “Few judges would entertain these claims.”
- Many: Refers to a larger number of something: “Many judges would reject this claim out-of-hand.”
- These/Those: Refer to multiple items that are either nearby (these) or further away (those): “These circumstances are unfortunate but not illegal.”
Context-Specific Distributive Determiners: Agreement depends on the noun referred to.
- Such:
- Singular: “Such behavior is prohibited. ”
- Plural: “Such actions are prohibited by law.”
- Any:
- Singular: “Is any book missing from the stack?”
- Plural: “Are there any books missing from the stack?”
- Some:
- Singular: “There is some time left on the claim because of the tolling provision.”
- Plural: “Some judges are more open to abstract state-standing theories than others.”
And now that each of you is well-versed in distributive determiners, here are a few practice problems!
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