Subject verb agreement /help

Subject verb agreement /help
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Subject verb agreement /help
Message from mohammad51 posted on 19-01-2023 at 02:46:54 (D | E | F)
Hello
I searched and got the following question

please guide me to the correct rule

I know when two subjects, in the statement sentence, are joined by ( or ) the verb agrees to the nearest subject

Examples

The girl or her sisters go out. The boys or their mother is going to the market.
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My question

Has \ have the horse or the cattle been found ?

OR replacing subjects as :

Has \ have the cattle or horse been found ?

So, here : Which is the nearest subject to or ?

I know the word ( cattle ) is always plural . We cannot say a cattle

Thank you in advance

Re: Subject verb agreement /help from mohammad51, posted on 19-01-2023 at 05:59:14 (D | E)
Hello
I think the question pattern is incorrect and I suggest to use ( either --or )

Has \ have either the horse or the cattle been found ?

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I got some notices from one book in Google but it is also not clear

The general rule which we are familiar to is :

When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by "or" or "nor," the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is closest to the verb. This is also called the rule of proximity.
Example: The student or the committee members write every day

But none mentioned which subject is the nearest in the interrogative or it is hardly to find an examples like the one I posted.

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The only notices I found are these :

(Has, Have) either the boy or the girls reached the location?

Answer the question: No, neither the boy nor the girls have reached the location.

Which verb ( has or have ) is correct The author did not make it clear out of his notices And he is neither British nor American.

I Really supposed perhaps I find one author British or American mentioned such a rule , but sorrowfully I have not found even I searched at least 200 books or more.

And let me announce it by a loud voice ( All flee when it becomes critical )

I am not a native speaker of the English language but perhaps I know more than the native themselves and at least I search and ask

This matter ( subject verb agreement ) in the interrogative sentences is hardly one can find a rule for it.

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