grammar · formal
no sooner + had + S + past participle + than + clause
Says that one event happened immediately after another (usually in the past); formal.
Examples
“No sooner had the teacher left than the students started chatting.”
“No sooner had the government announced the policy than protests erupted across the country.”
“No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.”
Band 8 sentence
“No sooner had researchers published the preliminary data than rival teams began attempting to replicate the results.”
Common mistakes
No sooner he had left than the trouble began.→No sooner had he left than the trouble began.
No sooner had he left when the trouble began.→No sooner had he left than the trouble began.
Say it for a higher band
5right after + clause→6as soon as + clause→7+no sooner + had + S + past participle + than + clause
Synonyms
hardly...when
Easily confused
as soon as + clause
“As soon as she arrived, the meeting began.”
Related words
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In Comparatives
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