1000 sc #263

[magical cook]

Hi,

The answer is A) but "never were" is correct? I though it should be "were never"...

263. During the first nine months of 1979, textbook publishers incurred substantial costs for creating products that, due to a decline in public funding for instructional material, never were sold.
(A) funding for instructional material, never were
(B) funding for instructional material, never was
(C) funding, the instructional material, was never
(D) funding for instructional material, the products were never
(E) funding, they were never

[Cybermusings]

B; eliminate for lack of subject verb agreement (it should be "were" and not "was" since it refers to "products")
C; eliminate for similar reason
D; Redundant and wordy (we have already used the phrase "products that" in the first part of the sentence. We do not need "the products" again)
E; we do not know what "they" refers to.
Hence Choice A is the best

[magical cook]

Why ""never were" in A) is correct? isnt is supposed to be "were never" ????