Reading and Writing: Standard English Conventions
SAT Question of the Day for October 29, 2026
Neither the calcium carbonate samples collected from the cave's upper gallery nor the single stalactite fragment recovered from the _______ any detectable trace of the sulfate minerals that would indicate prolonged contact with acidic groundwater.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A.lowest chamber contain
- B.lowest chamber containsCorrect answer
- C.lowest chambers contain
- D.lowest chambers contains
Explanation
In a 'neither...nor' construction, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject is 'the single stalactite fragment,' which is singular, so the verb must be the singular 'contains.' The option 'lowest chamber contains' correctly pairs the singular noun 'chamber' with the singular verb 'contains,' maintaining agreement with the nearer singular subject. The option 'lowest chamber contain' uses the singular noun but the plural verb 'contain,' violating subject-verb agreement with the nearer subject. The option 'lowest chambers contain' changes 'chamber' to plural unnecessarily; while the plural verb would agree with a plural noun, the context describes a single lowest chamber, and more importantly the verb must agree with 'fragment,' not 'chamber.' The option 'lowest chambers contains' pairs a plural noun with a singular verb, creating an internal disagreement regardless of the neither-nor rule.
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