Is neither of the boys singular or plural?

In formal written English it is singular, as in has finished.

Why does bread and butter take is?

It names one breakfast combination, so it is a single unit.

Primary English Subject-Verb Agreement, Paper 3: neither, each and sums as units

2026-10-30

Tutor Prep Guide · Primary English

Neither of and each of take singular verbs, while sums such as two hours and bread and butter are treated as units.

Focus　Circle the real subject, then decide singular, plural or uncountable.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	25
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 4 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: Primary English: Subject-Verb Agreement
Level	P4 to P5

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationMy sister ___ (go) to school by bus.
FoundationThe dogs ___ (bark) at night.
FoundationMilk ___ (be) good for your bones.
IntermediateNeither of the boys ___ (have) finished the work.
IntermediateEach of the students ___ (be) given a book.
IntermediateThe news ___ (be) very surprising.
IntermediateTom, together with his friends, ___ (be) coming tonight.
ChallengeTwo hours ___ (be) enough for the test.
ChallengeBread and butter ___ (be) my usual breakfast.
Error redoCorrect the sentence: The childrens is playing outside.

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	goes	Third-person singular go adds es.
2	bark	A plural subject takes the base verb.
3	is	Milk is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
4	has	Neither of takes a singular verb.
5	is	Each of takes a singular verb.
6	is	News ends in s but is uncountable and singular.
7	is	Together with only adds information, so the verb follows Tom.
8	is	A stretch of time is treated as one unit.
9	is	One breakfast combination is treated as a single unit.
10	The children are playing outside.	The plural of child is children, which takes are.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

Book a Primary English tutor

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.