In this sentence, is it grammatically correct to use "was" or "were".
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sentence:
a) neither of these characters were what they appeared to be
b) neither of these characters was what they appeared to be
hint from professor:
was is used in the first person singular and and the third person singular
were is used in the second person singular and plural and first and third person plural.

Proofread the passage and identify the spelling and punctuation errors. no one knows the exect cause of diabetes. most people who get type 2 diabetes are older, but now younger people are being diagnosed with it. like many young people, you are probably thinking, "why should i be concerned about diabetes? " the truth is that both the center for disease control and the american diabetes association are quite alarmed about the increase in type 2 diabetes among young people. information gathered in the 1990s showed a rapid increase in type 2 diabetes in children. during the 2000s, this trend is continue. scientists who study diabetes are finding that 85 percent of the children who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. but that is just one reason for the increase. children are at risk for type 2 diabetes if they are inactive, have a family history of diabetes, or are from african american, american indian, or asian american families.

1. a poem that tells a story irony 2. taking on human characteristics narrative 3. a direct comparison between two things personification 4. words that are opposite the thoughts in a speaker's mind simile 5. implied comparison introduced with "as" and "like idiom 6. one's own manner of speaking metaphor

Comparing and contrasting is a form of