Neither the president nor the prime minister ______ in the favour of cutting down the price of electricity.

1. Is
2. Were
3. Are
4. None of these

With “neither…nor” constructions, the verb agrees with the nearest subject (proximity rule). Here, “prime minister” is singular, so the verb should be singular “is.” This rule applies even when the first subject is plural. Alternative style guides suggest using plural verbs when subjects are mixed, but traditional grammar follows proximity. Understanding this rule prevents subject-verb agreement errors in complex sentences.