Question:medium

Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.

Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
  • Neither this nor that machine is working.
  • Neither this nor that machine are working.
  • Neither this and that machine is working.
  • Neither this but that machine is working.
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The Correct Option is A

Approach Solution - 1

This sentence can be checked by applying two fixed rules for "neither" one after another, rather than reading each option separately.

The first rule is about the partner word. "Neither" always pairs with "nor" to form one linking unit, "neither...nor." Words like "and" or "but" cannot stand in for "nor" in this pair, since they signal addition or contrast, not an either-or choice between two things.

The second rule is about the verb. When "neither...nor" links two singular subjects, here "this" and "that machine," the verb that follows also stays singular. So the correct verb is "is working," not "are working."

Applying both rules together: the sentence needs "neither" paired with "nor," followed by the singular verb "is." Any option missing either piece fails the check.

So, the correct answer is Neither this nor that machine is working.

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Approach Solution -2

Reading each option aloud and noticing which word feels wrong the moment it is spoken is a quick way to settle this one.

  1. Option A: "Neither this nor that machine is working." Said aloud, this one flows naturally all the way through; "neither...nor" is the pairing a native speaker's ear expects, and "is working" sounds right for two things being treated as one single idea.
  2. Option B: "Neither this nor that machine are working." Read aloud, "machine are" is the spot that catches the ear, a singular-sounding noun followed immediately by a verb that a speaker would only use for more than one thing.
  3. Option C: "Neither this and that machine is working." Spoken aloud, "neither this and" is the moment that sounds wrong, since the ear expects "nor" to follow "neither" and hearing "and" instead feels like a slip of the tongue.
  4. Option D: "Neither this but that machine is working." Read aloud, "neither this but" trips the ear in the same spot as option C, with "but" sounding like it belongs to a completely different kind of sentence, one drawing a contrast, not this one.

Trusting where the ear stumbles and then checking why confirms the same choice every time.

So, the correct answer is Neither this nor that machine is working.

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