GWD 2-3

1. is expected to make an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until a merger agreement is signed that includes a provision for penalties if the deal were
2. is expected to make an offer for buying First Interstate Bank until they sign a merger agreement including a provision for penalties if the deal was
3. is expected to make an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until a merger agreement be signed by them with a provision for penalties if the deal were
4. are expected to make an offer for buying First Interstate Bank until it signs a merger agreement with a provision for penalties included if the deal was
5. are expected to be making an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until they sign a merger agreement including a provision for penalties if the deal were

   Answer: C

我想问这题答案为什么是C，首先后面的 the deal 为什么跟着 were 而不是 was，还有 be signed 为什么是正确答案而不是 is signed 或者如 B 答案一样。请各位指教！

一开始在A.C之间选，但对最后were却不理解，是否改为was?

were是虚拟,

但我也不知道为什么until里要用be signed,

我坚信此题选A，that includes a provision作定语修饰agreement，由于该部分太长，直接置于被修饰词之后会导致句子失去中心，所以将谓语部分提前，所以A是完全符合语法规则的

C中的被动态不好，而且就算用被动态也应该是an agreement is assigned

看来这道题目cd上争议很大，我本来也是选A的，可是想了很久，突然想问问nn们，在until开头的句子中，好像没出现过什么should、would之类的吧？

如果if条件从句表示与现在的事实不符，谓语动词应该用过去时，be动词一律用were，而主句应该用would（第二三人称），那么这里会不会是在be前面省略了would？

有没有牛牛来解释一下，机井中遇到了这道题！

强烈支持A,这句话最后的were是表示虚拟语气不错,但这是针对penalties而言的,也就是说"if the deal were not to be concluded"这句话的主句就是penalties这一词,与前面的until无关.
前面的"Not one of the potential investors is expected to make an offer to buy First Interstate Bank until a merger agreement is signed"已经很完整,且该句中无需用虚拟语气.

整个句子的结构是: 主句+until从句+含有虚拟语气的定语从句.