Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one. Some sentences have two correct answers. Choose both.
1Hardly ............... the meeting started when the fire alarm went off, and everyone had to evacuate.
Wrong!
With hardly at the start, use inversion (had + subject + past participle) and pair it with when.
2Scarcely ............... the email when my manager called to ask why I had not replied sooner.
Wrong!
After scarcely, use inversion with had and pair it with when.
3No sooner ............... the door than the dog bolted out into the street.
Wrong!
No sooner triggers inversion (had + subject + past participle) and is followed by than.
4Hardly ............... the train when the doors slid shut and it pulled away.
Wrong!
Hardly at the beginning needs inversion with had, and it pairs with when.
5Scarcely ............... the presentation when the projector died, right in front of the clients.
Wrong!
Use inversion after scarcely and follow it with when.
6No sooner ............... than the audience started whispering, so he had to raise his voice.
Wrong!
No sooner is followed by inversion with had, then than.
7Hardly ............... when the Wi-Fi dropped again, so the video call froze mid-sentence.
Wrong!
Hardly can be followed by inversion with had + subject + past participle, and it pairs with when.
8Scarcely ............... when the press picked up the story and the phones started ringing nonstop.
Wrong!
Scarcely can take inversion with had + subject + past participle, and it pairs with when.
9No sooner ............... than the kids started arguing over who got the front seat.
Wrong!
After no sooner, use inversion with had + subject + past participle, followed by than.
10Hardly ............... when the editor emailed to say the deadline had been moved forward.
Wrong!
Hardly can be used with inversion and is typically paired with when in this structure.
11Scarcely ............... when the lights went out, and the whole theatre fell silent.
Wrong!
Scarcely can be followed by inversion and is typically paired with when in this pattern.
12No sooner ............... than she regretted it, because the comment sounded harsher than she intended.
Wrong!
No sooner requires inversion with had + subject + past participle, followed by than.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- Hardly had we sat down when the meeting started when the fire alarm went off, and everyone had to evacuate.
- Scarcely had I sent when the email when my manager called to ask why I had not replied sooner.
- No sooner had I opened the door than the dog bolted out into the street.
- Hardly had we boarded when the train when the doors slid shut and it pulled away.
- Scarcely had she begun when the presentation when the projector died, right in front of the clients.
- No sooner had he paused than the audience started whispering, so he had to raise his voice.
- Hardly had we logged in when the Wi-Fi dropped again, so the video call froze mid-sentence.
- Scarcely had they announced it when the press picked up the story and the phones started ringing nonstop.
- No sooner had we arrived than the kids started arguing over who got the front seat.
- Hardly had I hit send when when the editor emailed to say the deadline had been moved forward.
- Scarcely had the show begun when when the lights went out, and the whole theatre fell silent.
- No sooner had she spoken than she regretted it, because the comment sounded harsher than she intended.
