Singular Verb with Singular Elements
If the pairings either/or or neither/nor form part of the
subject of a verb and both elements are singular, then the verb must be singular too.
Examples:
 Neither Mark nor Dawn is at the function.
"Mark" (singular - i.e. one person), "Dawn" (singular), "is" (singular -
i.e., not "are")
Neither Dickens nor Thackeray was a panderer to the public taste.
"Dickens" (singular), "Thackeray" (singular), "was" (singular - i.e.,not "were
panderers")
Either the clerk or the secretary has the keys to the Rover.
"clerk" (singular), "secretary" (singular), "has" (singular - i.e., not "have")
Neither Simon nor Gary do as they are told.
"Simon" (singular), "Gary" (singular), "do" (plural - should be "does")
Either a mouse or a rat eats the cable at night.
Plural Verb with
a Plural Element
If the pairings either/or or neither/nor form part of the subject of a verb and at least one of the elements is plural, then the verb must be plural too.
Examples:
Neither the lawyer nor the detectives are able to follow the sequence
of events.
"lawyer" (singular - i.e., one person), "detectives" (plural - i.e., more than
one person), "are" (plural - i.e., not "is")
There were neither cakes nor ice-cream at the party.
Neither the firemen nor the policemen know him.
(i.e., not "knows")
Either the budgies or the cat has to go.
Proximity RuleNot all grammar conventions agree with the ruling
above. In fact, there is notable leniency on whether to use a plural or
singular verb when one of the elements is plural. Under 'the proximity
rule', the verb is governed by the element nearest to it.
Examples:
Either crumpets or cake
is sufficient.
(
under standard convention; should be "are sufficient")
( under the
proximity rule - "cake" governs "is" because it is the
nearest element.)
There was neither
ice-cream nor chocolates at the party.
(
under standard convention; should be "were")
( under the
proximity rule - "ice-cream" governs "was" because it is the
nearest element.)
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ELEMENTS?
The elements are the words which follow either, or, neither or nor. (The
elements are in bold in the first example
below:
 Neither
Mark nor Dawn is at the function.
(elements in bold)
Either tea and crumpets or cake are sufficient.
(elements in bold)
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GO FOR IT
Sometimes, it may sound wrong to use the singular form of the verb. Be confident and, if both elements are singular, use the singular form.
 Neither Jeremy nor Sarah was in the shop at the time of the
theft.
(i.e., not "were in the shop")
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