Neither the boys were present. The underlined word is a ______ pronoun.

The underlined word in the sentence "Neither the boys were present" is "Neither," and it is a distributive pronoun.

Explanation:

• Reciprocal pronouns are used to indicate a two-way relationship or action, typically "each other" or "one another." In the given sentence, "neither" does not indicate a reciprocal relationship.

• Distributive pronouns refer to members of a group separately, rather than collectively. "Neither" is a distributive pronoun because it is used to refer to two things or people separately and indicates that the statement applies to neither of the two mentioned.

• Demonstrative pronouns are used to point to something specific in a sentence and include words like "this," "that," "these," and "those." "Neither" does not function as a demonstrative pronoun in this context.

• Relative pronouns are used to link one phrase or clause to another phrase or clause. They include words like "who," "whom," "which," "that," and "whose." "Neither" is not a relative pronoun.

Therefore, "Neither" is a distributive pronoun in this context.