Toefl grammar test

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heisazadeh

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The brown thrasher is not a particularly large or strong bird, ----------
fighting.
(A) nor is it equipped for (B) neither is it equipped for
(C) nor it is equipped for (D) but also it is equipped for

Correct answer is A. Please, explain why B is not correct?
 
I don't know. Here are two quotes from the same publication, The Guardian (March 2006): "Guantánamo is not a spa, but neither is it a torture camp."(Headline). "Guantánamo is not a spa, but nor is it an inhumane torture camp."(Text). Journalists are not necessarily the final word on grammar, but these examples certainly support your question.
 
Neither would not come in that position- it would come before the first of the two negatives:
The brown thrasher is neither particularly large nor equipped for fighting.
 
This is one of the predicted mistakes that TOEFL-based teaching books usually present.

When a negating element occurs in the first clause of a set of negative clauses, we can use nor in the subsequent ones. But as Tdol indicated, neither cannot be put at that position (mostly according to prescriptive grammars to which TOEFl belongs).

If billmcd’s first example is acceptable, then we can conclude that nor means something like: and not, and neither, not either.
The word order of such sentences is yet another structural pattern that testmakers are fond of.

Bye
 
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