Select the correct option: So delicate the negotiations that a single leak could derail them.

Question

Select the correct option: So delicate the negotiations that a single leak could derail them.

1. A. are
2. B. were (Correct answer)
3. C. is
4. D. was

Correct Answer

Option B — were

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is were.

Key Points

• The sentence uses inversion for emphasis: "So delicate were the negotiations that…" — when a complement like *so delicate* is fronted, the verb comes before the subject.
• The subject is negotiations, which is plural, so the singular forms *is* and *was* are ruled out immediately.
• Between the two plural options, the tense is fixed by the rest of the sentence: "could derail" signals a past frame, so were rather than *are*.
• Identify the real subject before choosing the verb — in inverted sentences it sits after the verb, which is why the fronted adjective misleads.
• The pattern to remember is: *So + adjective + verb + subject + that + clause*.

Additional Information

• Inversion occurs after a fronted negative or restrictive expression as well: *Never have I seen…*, *Rarely does he…*, *Not only did she…*, *Hardly had we…*.
• The verb still agrees with the real subject, wherever it sits in the sentence — locating it is the first step in every agreement question.
• Distinguish inversion from the subjunctive, which appears after *if*, *wish* and *as though*: "If I were you" uses *were* for all persons.