complex sentence frame · neutral
No sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + clause
Shows that one event happened immediately before another; uses inversion (had before subject) and 'than' as connector.
Examples
“No sooner had I finished the presentation than someone asked a difficult question.”
“No sooner had the students left the classroom than it started raining heavily.”
“No sooner had she arrived at the airport than she realised she had lost her passport.”
Band 8 sentence
“No sooner had the committee announced the decision than several members voiced strong objections, which shifted the whole discussion.”
Collocations
- no sooner had + subject + past participle
Word family
Common mistakes
No sooner I had finished than the meeting started.→No sooner had I finished than the meeting started.
No sooner had I finished when the phone rang.→No sooner had I finished than the phone 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
as soon as
Easily confused
As soon as + clause
“As soon as I arrived, the meeting began.”
Related words
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In Complex sentences
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