Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
What the bureau failed to deliberate on adequately (1)/ were not the scheme's objectives themselves, (2)/ but the political ramifications it (3)/ might have had if implemented without broader consensus. (4)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. (2)
Error is related to: Subject–verb agreement (singular vs. plural verb usage).
What is wrong: The verb “were” is used incorrectly with the clause “What the bureau failed to deliberate on adequately”, which is singular in meaning.
Grammatical concept: When a sentence begins with “What + clause”, the entire expression functions as a singular noun clause and thus takes a singular verb (i.e., “was,” not “were”).
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Here, “What the bureau failed to deliberate on adequately” refers to a single issue — so it should be followed by “was”, not “were.”
How to correct: Replace “were” with “was” to agree with the singular subject.
Correct phrase/correction: was not the scheme's objectives themselves
Final sentence:
What the bureau failed to deliberate on adequately was not the scheme's objectives themselves, but the political ramifications it might have had if implemented without broader consensus.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.