ronr34 wrote:
Neither the W± and Z particles, the massive gauge bosons of the Weak interaction, and like the gluon, do not act over distances larger than the scale of the atom.
(A) and like the gluon, do not act
(B) and like the gluon, act
(C) nor the gluon, does not act
(D) nor the gluon, act
(E) nor the gluon, acts
Dear
ronr34,
I'm the author of this question, so I am happy to help.
This question is discussed in detail at this blog:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/subject-ve ... orrection/First of all, the idiomatic pairing is not "
neither ... and like" but "
neither ... nor." Choices
(A) &
(B) are completely out.
Choice
(C) involves a double negative ---
nor the gluon, does not act. This is incorrect.
Then, it boils down to a SVA issue, between
(D) &
(E). When the subject of a sentence is of the form:
P or Q or
Either P or Qor
Neither P nor Q,
then the rules of SVA say that the verb should agree in number with the latter element, the element closer to the verb. Thus, in these examples, Q would determine whether the verb is singular or plural, regardless of what P is.
In this sentence, "
the gluon" is singular, so we have to take the singular verb. OA =
(E).
BTW, if you're curious about the science in this sentence --- gluons are the particles that make the Nuclear Binding Force happen. In an atom's nucleus, there are a bunch of neutrons and a bunch of positively charged protons all stuck together in a really really small space. How can we have all those mutually repellent positive charges stuck together in a really tiny place? Well, there must be some super-strong "glue" holding them together --- essentially, that's what "gluons" do. Does all this make sense?
Mike
_________________
Mike McGarry
Magoosh Test PrepEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. — William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)