Which of the following are correct ?


1. Neither my mother nor my father, both of whom are
English professors, agrees with my contention that
James Joyce’s novel Ulysses is overrated.

Can we use "both" here ??


2. Neither my mother nor my father, each of whom is an
English professors, agrees with my contention that
James Joyce’s novel Ulysses is overrated.

Hmmm....thinking out loud here: The "neither X nor Y" construction means that the verb number must match the closest noun, but that only means that we must use the singular "agrees" to match the singular "father." The phrase between the commas is a modifier (an appositive), and modifiers don't necessarily have to match the subject in number.

Batman and Robin, both of whom wear tights, fight crime.
Batman and Robin, each of whom wears tights, fight crime.

Is it true that they both wear tights together? that each wears tights individually? I think the answer is Yes to either question. I definitely think there is a difference in meaning, but neither is grammatically wrong.

Thus, in your example, I don't think you have to default to the singular "each" just because the subjects are singular. The choice between "each" and "both" should be based on your intent: whether to say that mom and dad are two of a kind (both), or they individually hold some common trait (each).

_________________
Emily Sledge
Instructor
ManhattanGMAT