complex sentence frame · neutral
Hardly + had + subject + past participle + when + clause
Indicates one event happened immediately after another; uses inversion (had before subject) and 'when' as connector.
Examples
“Hardly had I sat down when the phone started ringing.”
“Hardly had the show begun when the lights went out.”
“Hardly had she opened the door when the dog rushed out.”
Band 8 sentence
“Hardly had the researchers published their findings when competing teams produced contrary evidence, prompting a lively debate.”
Collocations
- hardly had + subject + past participle
Word family
Common mistakes
Hardly I had finished when the bell rang.→Hardly had I finished when the bell rang.
Hardly had I finished than the bell rang.→Hardly had I finished when the bell rang.
Say it for a higher band
5As soon as + clause→6Hardly + had + subject + past participle + when + clause→7+No sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + clause
Synonyms
no sooner ... than
Easily confused
No sooner + had + ... + than + ...
“No sooner had she left than it began to rain.”
Related words
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In Complex sentences
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