Hi,
Depending on which scholar you consult, either Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews, or Samuel Richardson’s Pamela is believed to have been the first English novel ever written.
(A) is believed to have been the first English novel ever written.
(B) is believed as being the first English novel ever written.
(C) are the English novels believed to be the first written.
(D) are the English novels which were believed as the first written.
(E) are the first English novels ever believed to be written.
@navi19: Plural verb can be used with the idiom “either… or…” depending on the context of the sentence. Consider the following examples:
1. Either the teacher or the students are responsible for this indiscipline.
2. Either the students or the teacher is responsible for this indiscipline.
So, the noun that appears after “or” decides the number of the verb. If the noun preceding “or” is singular, then the verb should be singular and vice-versa.
In the sentence in question, the correct verb to be used is certainly “is” because “Samuel Richardson’s Pamela” is a singular noun.
Between A and B, A is correct because it used the correct idiom “believed to have been written”. The correct idiom is “believed” to be something.
Hope this helps.
Shraddha.
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