Little ______ that the cryptographic protocol they developed would become the cornerstone of modern internet privacy.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. did the inventors foresee
- Step 1: When the negative adverb 'little' begins a sentence, subject-auxiliary inversion is mandatory. The auxiliary 'did' precedes the subject 'the inventors', followed by the bare infinitive 'foresee'. Answer: did the inventors foresee. Why not the others: "the inventors foresaw" fails to invert the auxiliary and subject after the initial negative adverb 'little'; "have the inventors seen" uses present perfect which conflicts with the narrative past context established by 'developed'; "were the inventors seeing" uses progressive aspect with a stative verb of perception and lacks standard inversion.
Practise more Advanced Inversion and Subjunctive Mood.
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More Advanced Inversion and Subjunctive Mood questions
- At no time during the cross-examination ______ that he had met the co-conspirator prior to the summit.
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- Were the European Union ______ carbon tariffs on heavy industrial imports, global trade patterns would shift dramatically.
- The archaeological discovery is considered ______ the earliest known evidence of domestic pottery in the region.
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- It was the chief engineer's swift intervention ______ a catastrophic explosion at the refinery.