grammar · formal
no sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + clause
Used to say that one event happened immediately after another; typically uses inversion (had before the subject) and is followed by 'than'.
Examples
“No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.”
“No sooner had the meeting started than the fire alarm went off.”
“No sooner had she finished speaking than questions came from the audience.”
Band 8 sentence
“No sooner had the committee published its findings than the media picked up the story and public debate exploded.”
Collocations
- no sooner + had + subject + past participle + than + clause
- hardly/scarcely + had + subject + past participle + when/than + clause (similar)
Common mistakes
No sooner I had sat down than the phone rang.→No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.
No sooner had I sat down when the phone rang.→No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.
Say it for a higher band
5I sat down and then the phone rang.→6As soon as I sat down, the phone rang.→7+No sooner had I sat down than the phone rang.
Synonyms
hardly/scarcely ... when/than
Easily confused
hardly + had + subject + past participle + when + clause
“Hardly had she arrived when the concert started.”
Related words
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In Tenses
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