Subject-verb agreement "Either"

Question

The pronouns neither and either are singular and require singular verbs.

#1 Neither of the two traffic lights is working.

#2 Which shirt do you want for Christmas?
Either is fine with me.

#3 Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?

#4 Are either of you taking this seriously?

But then why sentences #3 and #4 uses plural?

GPY · Accepted Answer

The supposed rule that "either" and "neither" should be singular is often disregarded in everyday English.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

taruns1008But then why sentences #3 and #4 uses plural?

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/neither?s=t
As an adjective or pronoun meaning “not either,” neither is usually followed by a singular verb and referred to by a singular personal pronoun:
Neither lawyer prepares her own briefs.
Neither performs his duties for reward.

When neither is followed by a prepositional phrase with a plural object, there has been, ever since the 17th century, a tendency, especially in speech and less formal writing, to use a plural verb and personal pronoun:

Neither of the guards were at their stations.

In edited writing, however, singular verbs and pronouns are more common in such constructions:
Neither of the guards was at his station.

CalifJim · Answer

taruns1008#3 Have either of you two clowns read the assignment?#4 Are either of you taking this seriously?But then why sentences #3 and #4 uses plural?

A great many of us instinctively use the plural with 'us' and 'you' no matter what the rule says.

Have either of you ... / Have either of us ... / Are either of you ... / Have either of us ...

Some of us are ambivalent about 'them', accepting either form but choosing the singular in formal contexts.

Have/Has either of them ... / Are/Is either of them ...

CJ

Subject-verb agreement "Either"

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